Happy New Year!!

We had a wonderful Christmas and I do have a few photos to share, but I am too darn lazy to upload them right now. I would like to say I got a few great gifts. Those topping my list this year: The Willow Tree Nativity Set which was given to us a bit early so we could display it this year. I had a very small Nativity that I picked up at market in Germany, but wanted a little larger of a set. I do love my little set, but when I say little I mean tiny! Anyway, I also got a king size down comforter! It is fabulous! I love it. It is so warm and fluffy and big on a queen size bed. MW gave me freshwater pearls - a necklace and bracelet and Rachel B. you will be excited to know that I finally got the Chi Hair Straitener!!!
The holiday was nice and I have been enjoying working from home this week. Saturday we are leaving to go to Orlando where we will meet up with friends for New Years! Very exciting.

Stay tuned for photos of us and old friends. You can see who you recognize. If you are a West Point grad you should see a lot of familiar faces.

So far behind.

I have not posted in so long that I have concidered leaving the blog behind...but then I think of all of the people this site has helped me stay linked to and I know I have to pick this back up. It has been so great catching up with old friends from the links on each others blogs. I will continue the blogging journey in 2008.
Some of you may have received a Christmas card from us. If you did not, I am sorry- I got so darn confused this year! I had some addresses and send out a bunch of cards and then had addresses I needed to locate. Well, without a list I got confused about who I sent cards to on the "seek address list" and who I had not. So, some people could have gotten two for all I know. It was a disorganized mess. In the end I sent out close to 50 cards, but again, I know I missed some people I wish I had not.

I hope everyone is well. It has been a while. We are well. Christmas will be at our house this year and we will go to Orlando for New Years for a few days of sun and relaxation.

There is no big one thing I want this year. I have a long list of "wants," but needs are a different story. My big thing has been scissors- they disappear from the kitchen. I got so fed up with waiting for Christmas that I bought some yesterday. I hope EVERYONE gives me scissors. Scissors disappear about as fast as socks in this house accept I can't blame losing them on the dryer!

Photos and more posts to come. Thanks for welcoming me back.

Turkey for you and Turkey for me...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I often find it hard to remember where I have on a holiday / birthday in the years past. How bad does that sound? Anyway, if my memory serves me right this is how the last five have gone:

2002 - Nashua, NH - this was the last Thanksgiving at my grandparents house. They moved the following year. It is a great memory. We had MW's family and mine together to celebrate a holiday together for the first time

2003- I haven't a clue! Maybe it will come to me, but right now I have not idea. It was in Germany somewhere, but I can't recall for the life of me right now.

2004- MW was in Iraq and his parents and sisters visited Germany. We had a feast with family and friends in Eltingshausen. It was a lot of fun even though MW was not there to celebrate

2005- We went to MW's parents in Poughkeepsie, NY. This was just before they moved to NC. It may have been the last time we visited the house- surprisingly I can't recall.

2006- I stayed in Jersey while MW traveled to NC to see his parent's new house. My sister and I had a chicken dinner at my house and we hung out just the two of us. We had a good day.

This year we are going to MW's parents. We are not traveling and we will not have any house guests.

I am looking forward to Black Friday. I don't have to work on Friday, so I am going to go out early as a crazed shopper. 6am I will be at the stores! I don't know where yet, but I am going to do it. I have never done a "black Friday craze" so I figure what the heck. I'll let you know if the deals are worth it.

Evening ritual

I have told some of you about this ritual and everyone has agreed we need to get it on camera. Our loving lab is still unable to climb up the stairs to the bedroom so every evening MW carries Bailey up to bed. They have it down to a science by now.

Here is Bailey getting ready to get in position.Here is the life. Notice Bailey holds his head high! A safe landing on the second floor.

And as soon as he lands safely he runs to my closet where he sleeps soundly all night. Yes, the dog sleeps in my closet and he Loves it. I can't explain it. I finally moved the dog bed in there since that is where both dogs like to sleep.

Not a whole lot new here. I am still suffering from a killer cold that won't go away. Really, I think it is a sinus infection. I think I need to break down and see the doctor tomorrow.

I hope everyone has safe travels for Thanksgiving. We will be staying here for the holiday.

My project

I need to work on before and after shots. Recently, I recovered the cornice boards in my kitchen. The photos our below. I could not have done it without the help of JW! It was a fun project since it was something I had never done before. Where the brown fabric is used to be a pink gingham and the blue was an ugly striped fabric. I reused the board and voila!

My next project is the family room. Stay tuned.
In the meantime I have a miserable cold so I am going to bed...

A new chapter?

I have been busy running around trying to get projects done last minute. I did recover a cornice in my kitchen and plan to post the photos - soon. I started work yesterday with a long day of orientation, so my first real day is today. I am used to being at work early, so meeting at 9am feels so late. I am ready to go, but have time to kill, so thought I would type a quick update.

Let's see...

Bailey is doing very well and wrestles with Sam all the time again. He likes to run, but he hops like a rabbit when he does it...he is still making progress, but is doing exceptional.

MW is running around as usual working, playing hockey and an occasional game of golf. He is still planning on applying for an MBA program at Duke for next year.

I am working! Yeah. Finally. I joined the book club I mentioned before, but of course now need to read the book before next week- I am not sure if that is going to happen since I don't have it yet.

My mom is packing up and prepping for her move south! She should be here by Christmas. Her house looks great.

Our little corner of the world is pretty peaceful right now. As I sit here the dogs are asleep right next to me and their is silence all around. I hope wherever you read this blog you have peace, if even just in the tiny circle that surrounds you.

The fear of a jinx has kept me away

Since I was afraid it may fall through, as many opportunities have for me recently, I did not post when I received my job offer last week. This position I have been interviewing for over a month for and I felt like I met the entire firm in the process. Anyway, I landed a great job and I could not be happier about it! Hallelujah! Since I am a little weirded out about who can read Internet posts I won't say where the job is, but it is at one of the banks in town and I was offered an officer title. Again, I could not be happier. It took six long months and I often felt like I was losing my head, but I made it!!! I start my job next Monday.

While I wait to begin this new adventure I am trying to tie up any lose ends around here, but basically I have been out of work so long I could care less about all the other day to day stuff. I am just eager to dive into my new career.

I did find a book club here- so I am planning on joining. I have always wanted to be part of a book club, but they always meet in the middle of the day- and I work : ) But finally, our church has a woman's book club that meets in the evening one night a month- so in an effort to get out and meet people, and live this life to the fullest I am joining a group. I really am trying to find ways to meet people since I feel as though I still have no friends here. Thankfully we have family that helps me through that. MW has made friends through hockey, work and golf, but when I tried to make friends through golf all I met was retirees. Go figure.

Bailey is doing great. He is getting stronger each day. He still is not able to walk upstairs so MW carries him up each night for bed and down in the morning. It is really adorable and I need to get a photo. Bailey's right leg is still dragging a bit when he walks so he can't really walk on cement without cutting his feet up - but aside from that he is a happy tail wagging lab and that is what we like to see.

If any of you are wondering why I have not called---- I managed to talk my way through my cell minutes and then some and when I got the bill my jar dropped....Nights and weekends only for me for a while. Whoa. And if you want to call and chat please try my home phone first. I have managed to talk myself into a steep bill... yuck.

1. Stay well everyone.

Sammy's Home!!!

After careful consideration we decided that it was time to bring Sammy back into the house. Bailey had seemed depressed for days now and we all missed pretty princess prancing around. So, Friday afternoon I picked Sam up for the reunion. We spend a lot of time in the yard and on the deck this past weekend. I took a bunch of photos that are posted below.

We have two guard dogs whenever we go outside. Especially Sam. She is the Chief of Security at this house. Nothing is getting passed her.
Bailey never seemed to figure out that he weighs 80 pounds and not 8! He is a lap dog in his mind. Meanwhile, this is supposed to be Sam's reunion and Bailey is hogging all of the attention. Of course, this is nothing new.

The princess

I have a photo just like this one from when Bailey was 8 weeks old. He is a ham.

My lap dog.

Showing off his Salty Dog bandanna.

Notice the tongue.
Other than this, the weekend was pretty uneventful.

Time Flies

I can't believe it is the middle of October already. It feels like yesterday was September. Since I last posted we traveled to Jersey City and Belleville NJ, Hyde Park and West Point NY, and Hilton Head Island, SC. While at the brunch following Bill and Ro's wedding we got a photo of the entire Hyde Park clan plus the additions of wives and children. A few people could not make the brunch, but for the most part this is MW's old crew. I love group photos like this.
When we got back from NY we were only home for two days before we left for Hilton Head Island. We "won" a free stay there, so we took advantage of the opportunity. It was a beautiful place, but nothing like what I expected. The island was very residential and other than going to the beach you could not see it...meaning there were not many restaurants on the water or you could not drive along the coast line, and there was no kind of boardwalk. We did rent bikes while we were there and cruised all over the island. It was a lot of fun. You are able to ride your bikes on the beach there, so we rode for miles and at one point had dolphins literally swimming right next to us. The water dropped off quickly, so the dolphins were swimming maybe 15 feet from shore. It was incredible. They were so beautiful. We also went to "The Salty Dog" which is the islands famous restaurant. If anyone has ever been to Martha's Vineyard or heard of "The Black Dog" it was similar as a trademark and a legendary story.

Now that we are back I had my final? interview for this one position that has been dragging on forever. No final word yet... What a frustrating experience. Meanwhile, it still has not rained in months and the earth is so dry our yard is dead and the dirt is drying and cracking as if it were the desert. The drought is so serious that I heard the other night on the news that in some areas there is only a three month water supply left. CRAZY. We need rain so terrible. I guess tomorrow or Friday we may get a little and we will take whatever we can get!

I have traveled the past three weekend and am looking forward to spending this weekend here doing things around the house. I hate that I can't do yard work- meaning I can't do anything worth while since I can't use water on plants, grass, or flowers...I am not even sure it makes sense to put down fertilizer unless it is raining. Maybe tomorrow I will run out in the rain, if it rains, to fertilize the ground.

The Bailey News

It has been a little bit since I posted an updated on the brown pup. He is doing AMAZING! Last weekend while I was away he decided to become independent and start walking around on his own all over! He can now walk on the wood floors and deck! Although it is much more difficult than the carpet, he is getting around just fine. He is still unable to take on steps, but I did see him climb the two side steps by our house once and down them twice. It is just too risky for him to do it on his own still. He got lucky those times, but he has also fallen and it is not worth him injuring himself again- so we use the sling to get him up and down the stairs.

Today, for the first time he lifted his back leg to pee! -Which shows he has strength to hold his body weight on his right leg- the injured side of the spine. Huge accomplishment.

I did unfortunately contribute to a minor injury today. I thought it would be special to take a short "walk" so I put his leash on and we walked down the sidewalk about four or five houses- he loved it!!!, but on the way back I realized his back right foot was scraped up and bleeding again and his toenails were completely worn down. I felt terrible even though he was smiling.

Anyway, that is what is up with the pup!

We are heading to the Hudson Valley for the weekend! One more wedding!!! I am sure the foliage will be beautiful. We are also hoping for a trip to West Point while we are there.

What a day...

Sometimes I feel like my day is so crazy I need to go home and find a "safe" place. Today was one of those days. It started with a phone interview that I don't think went all that well. The lady grilled me and I just had a bad vibe. It was the 8th person I have interviewed with for this job and I am interviewing with four more people within the next week. If i don't get this offer I am going to be so frustrated that I spent all this time interviewing!!!!

Then MW called because his glasses broke- I drove to Charlotte to bring him a new pair. Next, I go to his parents house to get the mail and feed the cat. NOTE: If you are a Wanish and have not spoken to any parents today please do not read this. I arrived at the house and began filling Widget's (the cat) water dish. I shook her food and she did not come running. I bet you all know what I am going to say next. Yes, the 17 year old cat was dead. The poor thing was sprawled out on the sun room floor. I have never actually seen a dead animal other than on the side of the road, so this was pretty traumatic. I called MW and told him I am not moving the cat. I leave. I then go home to care for the pup (who is doing very well by the way) and eat lunch. After that I headed to the mall to try and get MW's glasses fixed. Of course they can't fix them. They will replace them for half price since they are less than a year old, but they no longer sell that frame. OK, but I can't pick them out for him and we fly tomorrow to NY. Oh well I figure since I can't do anything else about it. I leave the Mall only to see that the bank next to the mall just got robbed. OK- I see the police running around and them putting yellow tape all around the building. I continue on. MW came home a little early to change his clothes to go bury the cat. And here I am. What a day. What a day. It was just one thing after the next. I know the glasses breaking is minor, and the interview was just an interview, but it was sad to see Widget-t it was obvious though that her tiny little soul was gone and I knew that she was in kitty heaven. I just felt slightly responsible for her death and not being there and that she maybe died from being old and lonely. She has been alone for a week with only two visits. Who knows. OK- that was the day. Thought I would report it. Sorry to rain on your day. Tomorrow we head to NY for another wedding! Wow. Last one for the season. Did I mention I am having my first dinner guests since moving here over tonight? Fun times.

September 29, 2007

A perfect day for a wedding in Wilton, NH. Congratulations Meredith and Shane. I had a great time!

My sister is the tiny one- aka third in from the right.

Although I wish MW could have been there it was great to see such a good friend get married. I was able to catch up on girl time with some friends I have not seen for a few years. Hopefully, not as much time will go by before the next visit.

5 YEARS

This blog was never supposed to be overrun by the dogs, so here is a note on MW and myself. And if you only care about the dogs then scroll down to the post below for an update : )

Yesterday, September 27th was our FIVE year Anniversary. WOW! I thought it may be fun to recap the last five anniversaries.

The Honeymoon- A week long stay on the island of Kauai and a brief stay on the big island and Waikiki. Aloha!!

1 Year- We packed our bags and hopped on Ryan air for a (belated) anniversary trip to Scotland. We drove as far north as Inverness before heading back to Glasgow to meet up with a friend MW had met in Bosnia that works with the British Army. We spent an evening bar hopping like locals and getting a real taste of Scotland.

Year 2- MW was in Tikrit and I was living in Schweinfurt- more specifically Eltingshausen. Luckily, Rachel Bellard took me out to eat at the Luwenzahn so we could celebrate! Now that is what friends are for!

Year 3- MW planned a surprise for this anniversary. We went to the castle in Wurzburg for dinner and stayed in their "honeymoon sweet" with a gorgeous view of the city! Oh how I miss the beautiful German countryside.

Year 4- Being back in America we took to NYC and saw RENT on Broadway and stayed at the Hilton Times Square!

Year 5- Last night we found a great new restaurant nearby that had not only excellent food, but also a great atmosphere! We also discovered a love for a new bottle of wine. It is the Marietta Old Vines Zinfandel Lot 43. If you like Red Zinfandel this is a MUST TRY.

All in all these are great memories that I thought would be fun to share. I love the excuse to reminisce about our travels... Let's hope for a return to Hawaii in '08!!

I know photos would have made this post better, but I have a plane to catch. Check for wedding photos early next week....

wobbly legs

Our little big man is really working hard. He is now walking on carpeting and grass. It is both sad and adorable to see. I don't really feel sad when I see him walk considering where he was three weeks ago, but at the same time you can see his frustration in his face. Today he impressed me by walking on the deck for the first time. Another surface he can control his little legs on. His right foot is scraped, so I am forever cleaning up bloody foot prints on the carpet, but it is all worth it to see him walk. I tried a baby sock on his foot- it is what the vet recommended- but after a couple of steps it slides right off. I am trying to keep him off the pavement and brick since that scrapes his foot the worst.
Bailey has really taken to the water! He can hardly stand the excitement of going swimming. I love seeing him so happy. I am leaving in about an hour for the airport and am sad to separate from him. Yesterday I left him for 6 hours, which is the longest he has been alone since the accident and when I got back he was just overjoyed and excited and falling all over the place. He did not know what to make of being alone without his beloved Sam.
Speaking of Sam. That lucky lady has gone on Holiday. She has left for the mountains of TN for ten days. Lucky dog.
Hopefully, when Sam gets home she can come back home to stay with us. We miss her.

That's all on the pup front.

Swimming like a fish

Just as we suspected Bailey took right to the water. He pretty much fell into the pond yesterday he was so excited to swim. At first he did not realize he could float so easy so he was scared, but once he realized all he had to do was propel himself through the water there was no stopping him. He got to be the Lab he was born to be for a minute yesterday. Swimming and fetching just like the good old days. Here are a few photos of his adventure. You can really tell from this photo that the water was not so clear. Back in July he swam in this pond and it was crystal clear- yesterday to our surprise we found a lot of algae. He smelled a bit like mildew last night! I couldn't hose him when I got home since there are water restrictions and our shower is up a flight of stairs. Today the smell has worn off and he smells like his usual dog self again.

So happy to fetch.

I was thinking- when did this blog become all about Bailey, but then I remembered that this injury has taken over my entire life. Did I mention that MW sleeps on the couch next to him each night since he can't stand to be alone downstairs? He is so loyal and would drag himself around until he got to us despite any injury that may take place. It is the same determination that is healing him so well that would have him spending the entire night trying to get up the stairs.

Interview number three tomorrow....

A floatation device

To my surprise there are a ton of doggie life vests out there! So, my buddy has a new jacket!!!


Here he is modeling the outift. Isn't it adorable? It is hard to tell from the photo, but the reflectors are a line of reflective dog bones.
Here he is thanking us for his new swimming device

Tonight will be the test! He is going to get a chance to try it out in the open water. I can hardly wait!

Baby Steps...

Yesterday was the best day yet in Bailey's recovery. He managed to stand up and start walking! It was not exactly a sturdy or balanced walk, but he was able to get up and shuffle around about fifteen feet or so- the furthest since the accident. He is only able to walk like this on the carpeting where there is good traction. The wood floor is still much too difficult to try and walk on. We are THRILLED with his progress and strength.

The little big guy had his two week check up today and passed with flying colors. Our next method of physical therapy you ask? Swimming! I am going out today to get him a life jacket to start building strength!! I am very excited for him that he has made it to this point in only two weeks. He has such determination and drive- As soon as we get the vest and take him swimming I will get photos of him- I am sure he will look adorable with his life jacket on! I am hoping I can get a bright orange one.

I have a third interview for the same position this week. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I really would like this position.

This weekend I am heading north to NH for a wedding. I am very excited, but sad that MW has to stay behind to care for the pup. Anyway, photos of that event are sure to show up early next week. Lots of things happening.

Take care everyone!!!!!

What I am up to

I did not want to post photos of the blue room until I was done and it became the "black and white" room , but the painting has been put on hold until the dog is a bit better. Since I have been trying to be home with him as much as possible I have taken out the sewing machine and entertained myself for hours! I made some very boring curtains for the garage which I will spare you, but I also have been working on my vision for the blue room. It started with two headboards...

I decided I on a black and white theme and plan to paint the walls a light gray. So, imagine gray walls instead of blue as you look at these photos.

I had black fabric from the IKEA in Furth for ever now and finally put it to good use. I picked up some ribbon at WalMart and voila! And by the way, to stuff them- I was frustrated how much pillow forms cost, so I bought the cheapest pillows I could find at target and cut them to size. They worked beautifully and only cost 2.72 for one of the big pillows and two of the small ones.
In case you are wondering the ribbons are sewn into the seems and then I used no sew iron adhesive to hold them in place tightly.

I picked up black sheer material for 2 dollars a yard at a local fabric store and used the existing white curtain rod. I tied the curtain to the rings and hung them- Note: sewing sheer is very slippery!
I am missing a bed skirt because target sold out of them. I am waiting to pick another one up. only 14.99 and the comforters were buy one get one half off at Linens N Things- I bought down alternative and it is super soft.

I have some artwork plans for the walls as well- I may hang them now even though the painting is not done since I am not sure when I will paint.

Anyway, this is a bit of what I have been doing in the house.

And as for outside...
Let me just throw this out there. I started my day chasing a squirrel. Since I am the rear legs of the lab and he started running forward- I followed. It was interesting trying to stop him once he started really going. Interesting....

Since fall is here so is the yard work. Lucky for me I like it. Not so lucky for me is the MW does not. We really are different. I like to organize everything including the yard and he could just keep it all in a heaping pile....Embrace the differences.

Theme Song

Everyone has one, right? At least I think we all do. About seven years ago there was a remake of a song that played in my head over and over during a tough time. I declared it my theme song back in 2000 or 2001. Just recently I was talking to a friend about having a theme song- it was a funny sort of conversation, but I said we should both rename our blogs to what are theme song is. Well, I am almost convinced it is a good idea. What do you think? I know- you need to know what my theme song is. Are you ready? Don't laugh too hard. It is..................the remake of "Stayin' Alive." Hey, I didn't pick it, it picked me!!! Let me know if you think this blog should be titled Stayin' Alive, Chapter 3. On to the pup update: He is ready to run if only his back legs would cooperate. He gets on his sling and tries to take off. He does not like sitting still and will not put up with it much longer. He is determined as anything. He is motivated and driven and I have no doubt he will walk again it is just a matter of when. His left leg is moving in a walking motion and carrying a little weight when we walk him. His right leg is starting to swing a bit, but often swings into his left leg wiping out his back legs hard work. He is trying very hard though. He can stand up on his own however his balance is not usually good enough with his back legs to stay up. Either way he could not do ANY of this ten days ago. He is trying so very hard and I am very proud of him. On the home front I have been sewing!!! I will post photos of one of my many projects later.... Hope all is well in your worlds....

A mini reunion

Saturday we were fortunate enough to have puppy care and went to the Army vs. Wake Forest game in Winston-Salem. We met up with old friends and had a great time! Here are some of the shots I took.

Yesterday we had a relaxing day hanging out with the pup. He is making progress. He is even standing up on his own at times- although he is not very steady. We are really impressed with his progress and hope to see him walking again soon. The most exciting thing is that on Saturday he began wagging his tail a little bit! If anyone knows a labs tail they know it is the clearest indicator as to what they are feeling- with out the wagging tail it is hard to know....

On the job front- it looks like I will have a second interview with a company this week....at least I am interviewing these days. It took a long time just to get people to call. Hopefully, one of these interviews will amount to something. Ideally, the one I am interviewing for a second time this week. It seems like a good match. Keep your fingers crossed.

Home Sweet Home

Last Weekend

He is home!

We picked our boy up today and brought him home. He is currently sleeping in the family room on his bed. He looks peaceful. We have only taken him out once since he got home, and I am not sure I can do it by myself. I am nervous because he is heavy and I have to hold up his back part of his body. His little feet will drag if I don't hold him up. Anyway, he is here and we are educated on how to exercise his legs etc. Now all we need is prayers and hope.

48 hours later

Monday morning has arrived and nearly passed and I still have not heard an update on Bailey. I am trying to be patient- but am going to call if I don't hear anything by noon. I am prepping for bringing him home. His bed and blankets have all been washed and are in the family room waiting for him. I am so anxious to hear how he is this morning. I am going nuts trying to wait!!!! I will post an update on his health later- and great photos of him swimming last weekend.

Bailey

What a surprise it is to have spent most of the weekend at a doggie hospital. Thankfully, such a thing exists, but still this whole thing is a shock. After an extensive evaluation by a vet and a neurologist vet it has been determined that Bailey has a spinal chord injury. While running one of his discs in his back shot pieces of the disc into his spinal chord injuring it. There is no surgery that can repair this condition, just medicine, steroids, and a will to live- and lots of love. Bailey is currently paralyzed from the waist down, but has some feeling in his toes. He is unable to move his rear legs at all. The neurologist believes that he has a good chance of recovering to a decent quality of life- with that said his odds are 90% that he will walk again. After about 18 hours of IV steroids and pain medication Bailey is able to move his left leg slightly although I did not see this when I visited him today. MW did see him levetate his leg at one point. This is a huge advancement from yesterday when he had no movement. We visited him today and he seemed much more like himself and not quite as in shock as he was yesterday. His back legs are sort of just dangling and he is clearly confused or frustrated with the situation. As for us, we are trying to figure out how we are going to bring a dog home that can not walk. Amazingly, there are many devices available to assist with this. For us, we are going to construct a sling to hold up his back legs for him as he walks with his front legs. We are also going to try and create some sort of a wheel chair for his rear legs- We don't know how long it will be before he walks again. We were told 3-4 weeks to 3-4 months. We don't really know. For now this is a day by day situation where we are trying to determine what is best for our dog. For all you cynics out there who are reading this and thinking we must be crazy for caring so much for our dog there are a few realizations I have come to. (and you must not know me and my dogs very well if it comes as a surprise what lengths I am willing to go through for them) One, there are truly very few people in this world that I love more than my dogs. Bailey was a gift to me basically the day I moved out of my mom's house. I have never spent any long amount of time away from him - he has been a partner for exercise, a pillow for crying and most of all he was there in Germany while MW was in Bosnia, Iraq, or Graf. He has been a rock for me. The other thing- As a pet owner I owe it to my dog to give him the best quality of life possible. Until it is evident that I am unable to do so I will try. And lastly, money is no good to have in the bank if you have misery or sadness in your heart. The bottom line is Bailey is part of the family. We love him and will do whatever we can to help him heal. He has proven to be strong through many other trying times and we do not doubt him now. Bailey is expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow.

Sad Saturday

Today started out with a BANG!

Bailey is currently at the vet while we wait to hear his prognosis.

He was running around this morning and all seemed fine in the world. He of course took his tennis ball out with him and despite the vet telling us to not play ball with him we through it for him. Not throwing the ball for this dog is like taking away his one true love in life. So, MW through the ball, a gentle toss, and what should have been a simple fetch ended terribly. Bailey wiped out, which he does often with his lack of grace, and instead of jumping back up to retrieve the ball he lay back and winced in pain. His two back legs had completely failed him. Unable to move, MW picked him and took him to the front door ringing the doorbell to get my attention. I came running out to see Bailey laying in MW's arms- I instantly thought he had been hit by a car again- Although this time was different the wretched pain in my gut was the same.

We rushed Bailey to the car, MW layed in back with him trying to keep him stable as I drove quickly to the vet. We carried him in and they immediately took him to the back....they then said they were sedating him and would x-ray his legs. In the meantime we should go home. So, I came home and now here I am. ANXIOUS AS HELL and just yearning for my baby. We have no idea if his hip is broken, dislocated, or even if he is paralyzed. We don't know anything- just that my baby boy is hurt- and BADLY.

Please pray for him. He is only five years old and is heart is so young.

What the week was all about

We returned from TN on Monday to find that my mom's preconstruction home is sheet rocked! It looks great- (photos to follow once MW returns home with the camera chord).

Tuesday we were both exhausted from the relaxing weekend in the mountains. (again photos in a bit)

Wednesday I started on operation redecorate the blue room- actually it has been an ongoing process, but the curtain was made on Wednesday. I am buying paint this weekend and once it is done will post the changes.

Last night we volunteered as a family, at a local shelter providing dinner and dessert and serving it to approximately 30 people. It was a good experience and I think we will do it again.

Sometime in the night Wednesday our air conditioning died on the second floor. It is still 90 something during the day here, so it is quite problematic. We woke up TH morning to an 83 degree room. Last night at "bedtime" it was 88 in our room. Needless to say the sleeping has not been great. The AC repair man is here now and we have a 425 dollar repair needed- the only good thing is when we closed in April we bought a one year home warranty- So, cross your fingers we can claim this. I am hoping in a few hours the upstairs will be restored to its cool temperature- that being anything below 82 degrees.

I had an interview today- that is all I will say, but please keep your fingers crossed that something comes up soon. I am really tired of interviewing and even more tired of being unemployed. I never thought it would be so difficult to find work here. I am frustrated and tired- at least I had an interview though- that is half the battle.

Photos to follow later. Happy Friday.

Checking in.

I have not had the most of exciting of days to report as of recently, but we did have one special event on Saturday. We drove north to visit old friends. We had not seen Brandon and Jenn in a long time and there little baby that we last saw is now four and there is a new beautiful baby boy. I wish I had a photo to share, but unfortunately, I did not take my camera.

Tomorrow we head out on our road trip. I am really looking forward to it. It is a six hour drive, so we think we will be there by ten pm. I am excited for Baiely to be able to swim. I will be sure to take photos.

Since there is nothing else exciting going on I am ending this post- I just wanted to make sure I posted so my faithful readers know everything is going smoothly here.

By the way- My grandmother is doing a little bit better. Her memory seems to be recovering some. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. Let's hope her leg heals well too.

A new address

Thanks for linking back to check in on me. I hate to have to change my blog address, but it is not a comfortable feeling when someone you don't want reading your business is checking in on you! Today has been a pretty simple day and there is not a lot new, but I wanted to say thanks for finding your way back to my site! Love to everyone.

Say a prayer for her

It seems that someone always has a request- someone is ill, hurt, tired, depressed, in danger, or just plain struggling. We all know a family member or friend that needs our support and we in turn need support at different times from our friends. My grandma is 90 years old. For some time now life has been a struggle for her and she is getting "tired." For as long as I can remember she told me she did not want to live to be 90 because that is too old and all the old ladies she sees- it isn't worth it. Well, she is a strong lady and has lived to 90. She has been plagued with a slew of bad luck which has consisted of medical testing, a fall where she broke her foot, and now what should have been a simple procedure to make her see better- cataract surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery yesterday may have been too much for her and to make matters even worse they could not correct her vision. She was anxious to have the surgery to see better and all she was left with was a tired body. Since she fell last week she has not been getting around well and has been confined to a wheel chair since her walker is too difficult to use with the cast. Now, after yesterdays procedure she has memory loss and is not well enough to get up out of bed. She is not really eating and just wants to sleep. It is so hard for me to imagine her in this condition. I have not seen my Grandma for two years. This woman helped raise me first hand and is more than a grandma, but a second mom. I wish I could take all her pain away, but she is old and tired. I am not ready for her to give up. Please pray for her.

A road trip is in order

With Labor Day upon us we are taking to the open road and heading West. Well, west to Tennessee that is! It is not quite as exciting as it once was to travel when we had Europe at our fingertips, but we will make do. We are taking the kids to Chateau St. Jean for the weekend. Along the way we will stop in Nashville for a visit with MW's sister and then head to the mountains for a few days of peace and quiet. I do hope that we are able to visit a very special place. Those from Mt. Olympus should remember it- The Looking Glass in Clarksville, TN. It is really where our relationship started. Many of days we spent drinking peach tea and playing chess inside, or sitting out in the back by the ponds relaxing while to the sounds of the waterfalls. It was our first summer together and we would ride the Harley to the looking glass and "hang out." Here is a little info on the place: http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2007/07/26/step-into-the-looking-glass-45-stars/ For those of you considering your next duty station Ft. Campbell is a great place and it is not too far from the mountains when you want to get away! I need to go now- I have an afro to deal with. It has not gotten any better- each morning I wake up looking like an absolute freak! I could be super creative on halloween though....

Locks of Love

This adventure was not that easy. The first appointment I made I chickened out of. The second was a great salon, but specialized in a different kind of hair than my own. The third appointment was Friday night. I got to the salon that had such a great reputation and it was empty. Then a lady called out my name with a terrible accent that sounded nothing like my name. She had nothing to measure my hair with and told me that she did not think I had enough hair to cut and that I should come back in a month. Well, as if that was not disappointing to me enough she said in a bad accent, " I can cut your hair now if you want a man cut. I mean I can give you man hair..." Looking back it is absolutely hysterical, but at that moment I could not get out of the chair fast enough. So, I told her no thanks and went to leave when she looked to Jean and said, "are you next?" The look of terror in her face was priceless...She told her we came together we cut together and we left. I was so disappointed. So, Saturday morning I woke up and found another salon. The mission was completed. Now on to the next goal. A 1/2 marathon Dec. 8th.

This was me yesterday...

This is what I said good bye to. Ten long inches.

At the salon the stylist asked me if I really wanted to cut off all of that hair and I told him not to ask me again and to cut it off.

This is my look of terror.

There was no turning back...

After a while of sitting in the chair I left with a pretty good cut. I am still working it out. This morning I woke up with a terrible afro! My hair is wild!!! But- my hair is on its way to making a wig for a child in need!!!!!

Here it is from the back...

The finished product- accept today I did it myself and feel like it came out a bit better. Either way, this is the cut!
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

102 degrees = HOT

Our UV heat index is on Violet. Violet is the worst of all possible rays and I have NEVER heard of the index being on violet. Needless to say, I am avoiding being outside. It is just as warm as last time I complained how hot it is here. I guess relief is coming soon. We should be in the low 90's this weekend. Funny how that feels "cool." On a different heat related note. I have mentioned before that I am donating my hair to locks of love once I get 10 inches of hair to spare. With this heat and a few other factors I have decided the time has come. I am going to modern salon in Charlotte tommorrow night and JW and I will leave with 10 inches of wig making hair to donate. I am not sure if it is related, but I have such a headache today. I can't have my hair up in this heat because of the headache. I have been noticing this "heavy" hair for a little while now. If I was not going to donate it I would have cut layers into it or something to try and lighten it up. I am looking forward to not having a neck strain anymore. For those of you who have not seen me in a while I will put together before and after photos of the hair cuts. This is how long my hair was in mid june. I probably have close to two additional inches now thanks to the folic acid supplements...

Keep your fingers crossed that I get a good cut! I am a bit worried for the big change!