Sippi's New Haircut

Sippi went to the spa yesterday. This is her new "do". She got the cocker spaniel cut even though she is actually a cockapoo. We think she looks pretty cute!! :) She has been a little more sassy since yesterday.

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas!! We are having a blast!! Last weekend, my whole family came to stay with us for the weekend. We had a great weekend. Sippi was so depressed when everyone left.

Then, on Tuesday night, we drove down to Nacogdoches to stay with my parents and enjoy time with them and my older sister and her family. Today, Missy and Ryan are driving down from Frisco and we are having Christmas dinner. (I'm trying to talk everyone into seeing Marly and Me with me!!). We are going back home tomorrow morning just in time for Stephen's parents to come tomorrow afternoon. We are excited to see them too. Sippi has been looking for them all day. They are driving half way today and then will drive the remainder of the trip in the morning. Lots of family, just like I like it!!! I love my family and I am so blessed to have such a great family and such great friends. God bless you all! I hope the Lord blesses your family in the new year.

sweet sippi

My brother in law got a new camera so we decided to try it out!















Lauren and Ryan with Stormy, their shitzu

stuff...

Sorry I haven't posted in a while....life has kept us pretty busy! Last week, Sippi was really sick, so we were constantly picking up after her if you know what I mean.... Luckily, she is better thanks to antibiotics!!

My family was here this weekend. My mom, sister, and her two kids came up for my younger sister's baby shower. She got lots of nice things.

I have had a million papers it seems to grade! Progress report time!

I don't think we ever stay home. I just wanna be a couch potato!!! :)

Alabama trip

Well, we went to Alabama and got back Saturday afternoon. It was a good trip in getting to see my parents and my aunt and uncle. Thanksgiving meal was just as good as ever and we got to spend time with the dog I gave my parents, Buster. Buster has gone from being a little 8 lb puppy to a 91 lb chunk, but he's just as good and dependable as ever. We went to Starkville on Friday and did a little shopping, so that a good diversion to an otherwise miserable Egg Bowl. The trip back from Starkville was pretty crazy with rain, fog, and stupid drivers pulling out in front of on-coming cars. Unfortunatley, my stomach bug acted up again and I didn't get to enjoy the final bit of the trip. Praise God that the flight home was very smooth in comparison to the outbound flight. My only regrets are that the trip wasn't longer and that dad wasn't feeling well.

Praise God!!!

My sister (older) got her biopsy results today!! She does NOT have endometrial cancer!!!! It is a miracle!! I truly believe He took that cancer right out of her!

Missy's Shower

Lauren is very excited about Missy's baby!! She put her ear up to her belly so she could "hear" the baby!! :)

We had a great time at the shower. It was good to see old friends!

We can't wait to meet the little "sweet prince"!!

things that come in pairs.....

Ok, ya'll. Literally, I laugh every single day with this new job of mine. Yesterday, one of my co-workers was teaching the kids about pairs. She asked them about things that come in pairs. This one little boy raised his hand, stood up, put his hands on his bottom, and said, "Butt cheeks come in pairs!!" Ok, so we know he got the point, but DANG!!!

New funny....

ok, another kid story!! :) I'm telling you, teaching first grade can be hilarious!!! :)

So, my kids have gotten lazy about putting their name on their paper, which drives me CRAZY!! Well, I grade the papers, then Stephen files them for me to save me time. We had an idea the other night. Sippi LOVES to shred paper. So we "accidentally" let her have one. She shredded it into hundreds of pieces. Stephen gathered in into a ziploc baggie. I brought it to school and poured it out on a desk. I told them that is what happened when they didn't put their name on their paper....Sippi gets it!! :) Since then, the problem has taken care of itself mysteriously!!! :)

Hallelujah!!!

I always like to sit back and listen to my kids sometimes without them knowing that I'm listening. One of my little girls on the way out to the playground was talking to her friends. She told them that Jesus died on the cross for their sins. Then, she started marching and putting her hand in the air singing, "hallelujah, hallelujah!!". (over and over again) It was too cute to stop!!! :) 6 years old by the way!!!

Bump alert

Missy is 29 weeks pregnant!! We can't wait to meet the little feller!!!! We still don't know his name! (hint, hint Missy! ) :)

Yee Haw!!

Here we are at Texas Roadhouse. The family brought me here for my birthday. The evening ended w/ me having to climb up on the saddle for my birthday and then yell, "Yee Haw"!! It was quite embarrassing!

Happy Birthday to me!

My family surprised me by coming up today. We truly had a blast!!!

Crazy Hair Day

Instead of costumes, our school had crazy hair day. This is my co-workers and me. This was about as crazy as it gets!!! :)

SFA Homecoming

The SFA Band

Stephen and Lauren enjoy the parade.

8 things...

Here's what to do: Post rules on your blog. Answer the six "8" items. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment.
8 Favorite TV Shows:
Grey's Anatomy
Army Wives
Bachelor
American Idol
All My Children
Big Brother
House Hunters
Property Ladder

8 Things I did yesterday:
Woke up
Got donuts and coffee
went to the SFA Homecoming Parade
Ate lunch with family
Went to the SFA Homecoming Game
bought stuff for my sister's baby shower
Graded Papers
Ate dinner with family (Mom's good home cooking!)
8 Things I look forward to
Thanksgiving
going to Alabama to see stephen's family
Christmas
a baby
my sister's baby
summer
summer
summer
8 Things on my wish list
a baby
a new TV for gameroom
new car for Stephen (probably no time soon though)
that's pretty much it.....can't think of anything else I could possibly want right now! :)

State Fair!

Chicken fried bacon

Yes, you see correctly...I had to do a double take myself! It is BBQ Bologna!!!

Grilled alligator, fried ribs, fried coke, fried latte, fried cheesecake, fried pickle, fried cheese gurds, fried grilled cheese sandwich, fried PBJ&B.............you see what I mean?????

State Fair cont.

This was quite an adventure!! Notice the "ambulance" in the picture. Stephen got stung by something. Shelley stopped at one of the little police officers and he called this to come and assist Stephen. We were standing there and heard a siren. I thought to myself, OH MY GOODNESS HOW EMBARRASSING!!!! :)

Good ole' Fletcher's CORNY dogs!! You see, Stephen and I have this major conflict going as to whether it is a corn dog or corny dog. I just proved it to him!!! :)

Deep Fried Latte! We will deep fry anything in Texas!!! :)

Stars Mania

Stephen went to the Dallas Stars Season Ticket event with his friend the other night. He got to meet several of the players and have his picture taken with them. He was in hog heaven!!

stuff

Lots of things going on....

My nephew got his cast off today!! His foot is so straight, Praise God!

I can't wait until this weekend! My family is coming to visit and I can't wait!!!

My mom quit smoking 10 days ago cold turkey and hasn't picked up a cigarette since. Another praise!!! I am so very proud of her. She has been smoking since her 20's and she is nearly 60. She did it for us. You can't talk someone into giving up an addiction until THEY are ready, but I am so happy for her!!

We are getting ready for our new nephew. My sister and I are giving her a shower in November. I was printing invites last night and forgot the most important part....the part that it's a boy!!! :) That just shows where my mind has been lately!!!

We're on round 2 of fertility drugs. We are praying for the Lord's will but we want a baby so bad, so Lord, that is the desire of our hearts. I look around and see pregnant people every day and I think it's just not fair. But I take comfort in the fact that I know the Lord knows what is best and His timing will be perfect.

So, that's all for now. Stephen just grilled me a yummy smelling steak, so I'm off to indulge in that. :)

names...

As a teacher, I have come across some pretty strange names. Yet, I don't think any can come close to being as weird as this one. Le-a. At first I was thinking Leah or Lea. Nope. Ledasha. Poor child. According to mom, "the dash don't be silent." Hmmm.....things that make you go hmmmm.........

R & R

We traveled to Little Rock this weekend to meet up with Stephen's parents. It happens to be a pretty good half way point for both of us. We are really enjoying getting to spend time with them. Sippi always loves getting extra attention too! :)

Getting here was a little bit of an adventure though. Last night on the way, the interstate was closed due to 2 18 wheelers colliding. It was pretty bad and one person died as a result. We were sittiing on the interstate for an extra 1 1/2 hours. Not too fun. The car was shut off and we were sitting ducks. But, what is an extra 1 1/2 hours of my life when one person lost theirs and someone is without a son/husband/daddy today. I prayed for their family.

We'll head back tomorrow. I am off on Monday for Fair Day. Woohoo!! I can't wait to see my friend Amanda and her daughter on Monday. I haven't seen them in a long time.

It sure felt good to take a 3 hour nap today!!!

story to warm your heart!

I have a little girl who is autistic in my room this year. Love her to death!!! She will be one that makes me cry at the end of the year! Anyways..for the first few weeks of school, she didn't play with anyone. She loves to play with chalk and do hopscotch at recess. The other day some of my other girls joined her. She stopped playing long enough to come to me and she said, "Mrs. Wright, I HAVE FRIENDS!!!" Talk about warm your heart!! I just sat there watching her play with her friends and cried!!!!

teacher hours????

Ok, so things have gotten out of hand at school. I couldn't find my desk....I had to do something!! Teaching those little first graders sure is rewarding, but when do I have time to do other stuff???? Well, it comes when I work 12 hour days like today, well almost! 6:50-6:15!!! This must stop!! :) But hey, I made it through my first 6 weeks!! :) Yeah!!!

On a much more scary note....our economy is tanking!! Yikes!!! Please keep my brother-in-law and sister in your thoughts and prayers. We found out yesterday he will probably lose his job that he has had for 15 years. Pretty scary!

We can only hope people keep building airplanes so Stephen can have some job security. Keep flying!! :) We're doing our part when we can but we need some help!! ;)

Here are the rules: I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass it on to seven others! This award comes with a list of questions:
1. Where is your cell phone? in my pocket
2. Where is your significant other? home
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? Lynette
5. Your father? Tom
6. Your favorite thing? my family
7. Your dream last night? didn't have one...not that i remember
8. Your dream/goal? to be a mom
9. The room you're in? gameroom
10. Your hobby? scrapbooking
11. Your fear? not being able to have a baby
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? still teaching, being a parent
13. Where were you last night? driving home from Nac.
14. What you're not? patient
15. One of your wish-list items? a new TV for the gameroom
16. Where you grew up? Nacogdoches
17. The last thing you did? grade papers
18. What are you wearing? t-shirt and denim capris
19. Your TV? cowboys game
20. Your pet? Sippi
21. Your computer? HP laptop
22. Your mood? happy
23. Missing someone? my family in Nac.
24. Your car? Saturn Vue
25. Something you're not wearing? shoes
26. Favorite store? Target
27. Your summer? hot
28.Love someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? yesterday
Those who I think are deserving of this Brillante WeBlog Award are:
I'm not sure! :)

oh, 1 more funny....

My co-worker has a student with special needs. Today she brought him to my room for some time out. He was being terrible. One of my students was moved from her room to mine. The other little boy kept saying bano (bathroom). I wasn't about to let him go for fear of him escaping. The new little boy in my room said don't worry, he won't escape...he'll come back!! :) I thought that was hilarious!!! :)

life as a teacher....

Funny story to tell....now that I teach 1st grade, I'm sure there will be many more to follow!! Out of the mouth of babes!!!

I was wearing my college ring which has the state seal on it. One of my students said Mrs. Wright I like your ring. I said thank you. She said.....my daddy's been in jail lots of times and that is what is on all of his mail!!!!

What do you say to that??????

Slow down!

Well, I got pulled over today by a cop for the first time EVER in my life. The sad part was, I was only doing 38 mph, but in a school zone. It was 4:20 and I didn't realize it was still a school zone. Luckily, he felt sorry for me since I was a teacher, so he let me off with only a warning. Thank ya Lord!!!

Take a hike, Ike!!

We're making it all right! We have just had some rain and wind. We brought in all of the outdoor furniture and we're "hunkering down"!! :) Poor Sippi, she doesn't know what to think. She is just running around the house back and forth to me and Stephen.

Mom and Dad are doing alright in Nac. They lost power this morning but luckily they have a generator so they have fans, lights, TV, and refrigerator. Shelley and the family is there also. They are really roughing it.........right!

It's a Boy!!

Congrats to Ryan and Missy!! They found out today that their little bundle of joy will be a boy!! They are already quite smitten with the little feller!! He has his little legs crossed for his mommy and daddy!! We can't wait to see him!! I have already found a shirt that I will buy for him that says Spoiled by the best....my Aunt Stacey!!!

Take a hike, Gus(tav)

Well, we went to Nacogdoches for Labor Day weekend to visit Stacey's family. We thought we would have a relaxing weekend, but had to endure the hurricane prep. Very surreal experience. We spent Friday like any normal day, but Saturday was spent watching all the preparations for evacuees and people trying to prepare in the event NE TX gets hit.

I guess we all learned lessons from Rita back three years ago. Wal Mart was a zoo and anything that was quick-fix and water, drinks, etc. were flying off the shelf. Lines were already forming at the gas stations and some were running out. It was almost hysteria.

This morning, we were greeted with State Troopers and Sheriffs Deputies manning the main highways while trying to direct people to the shelters set up inNacogdoches. Stacey, Missy and I left around 10 this morning to come back. From Nacogdoches to Kilgore, it seemed like business as usual. Once we got near Tyler, on I-20, it was almost like Texas was being invaded by Louisiana. For the next 70 miles, we were in a pack of cars from La., including many from the New Orleans area. Glad we didn't wait any later.

Here we go again

Well, it's that time again. Tomorrow is the first day of school and Stacey's stressed again. Fortunately, Stacey's sister came up from Nacogdoches and helped her finish her room up. That was double good for me because it allowed me to mow the yard. After a solid week of rain, it was about to get away from me and fortunately, my brother in law jumped in and helped me with the edging and weedeating before the rains hit again.

Stacey is doing first grade this year, so it could get really interesting. At least it was a nice change of pace from the rigors of TAKS and the preparations for it. Of course, she is taking a lot of ribbing from me about having to get up and go to work again. Poor Sippi, she'll be lost without her mamma.

The old computer went down after a power outage on Wednesday. We ended up having to get a new power source for it, maybe it'll be good for a while longer.

update

Well, here it is August already! I guess school will be here before I know it....

I just got home yesterday from going to Shreveport, LA. My nephew had his surgery on his right foot. He was born with club feet, had them corrected, then was walking on the sides of his feet again. He went through so much pain, it was quite hard to watch. Praise the Lord he is better and is on his way home right now. It will be a 6 week recovery.

Stephen's mom and dad, aunt and uncle were here all last week. They went home Saturday. We had a lot of fun. We hated to see them go.

There's really not much else happening here, excpet alot of heat!!! Hopefully fall will be here soon!!

Normal again...well, maybe.

It's been a few weeks since we've wrote anything, but by now you've probably seen the outrageous blog for Sippi. Sippi and her mommy are on the road for a birthday (Stacey's dad), so I'm still at home going to work. As I am writing this, it has come up a cloud (that's an impending thunderstorm for you non-southerners) and everything started blowing across the yard. Now that I have fetched the volleyball and returned the patio chairs, maybe that'll be the end of my chasing things across the yard.

Where was I? We ended our vacation by going to see the Braves and Rangers play. The Braves stunk it up, so that was sad. I returned to work and have been very busy since then. They were in the middle of a Kaizen when I returned and now we're getting ready to rearrange everything in my department. Meetings, meetings and more meetings. Now everyone is on vacation and we're just struggling to get back into a groove. Fortunately for Stacey, she had company in the form of her nephew Ryan. He earned his keep, Aunt Stacey made sure she had plenty for him to do. :-)

Also, the lot next door to us sold again, so now we wait and pray for a good situation to occur. Selfishly, I would really like to see it built this time just to rid ourselves of an overgrown lot, the insects and other pests, and the constant wondering of people/kids through the lot. The hassle of keeping up with the lawn and the overgrown stuff hanging in our yard has been quite the nuisance.

Next was the 4th of July weekend. The rest of Stacey's family came and we cooked out on the 4th. We still have food from it and I have leftovers to do me for a while. On the night of the 4th, we were entertained by all the neighborhood folks trying to shoot off a ton of fireworks. We could see the real show in Heath and some of these folks went extreme enough to compete with some of that. Let's just say I enjoyed watching them burn their money, not mine. We ended up going to the Frisco Roughriders game on the 5th and seeing the fireworks show afterward. On Sunday everyone went home and we crashed.

Well, better rest up, Stacey's coming back Friday and there's no telling what kind of honey-do list she'll bring with her...

Ah, Vacation!

Well, we have made the trip to Mee-chi-gan and gotten to see a lot of friends from my days up there. Fortunately, the flights were pretty uneventful and low turbulence to boot. We got to see the Millers and the Schneiders who are probably my longest standing friends from days gone by. It was great to spend time with each of them on Thursday and Friday. I also stopped in at AutoAir and saw old co-workers and reminisced with them, I also got to see my old boss and we ate lunch together. Before you ask, gas was $4.14-4.20/gal.

On Saturday, Stacey and I drove to Mackinaw City and ferried to the island. On Mackinac Island we rode bikes on the island and walked around to some of the more scenic areas. Of course there was the fudge and the eating that had to be done. I actually ate so much that I made myself sick, bad Stephen! Also, while we were in Mackinaw City, we got to go back to the lighthouse where I proposed to Stacey. This time, it was open and I got to go all the way to the top through a very claustrophobic opening and staircase. Sunday was the return trip back to Lansing and to dine with the Millers and Andy Boyd and his fiancee. Monday, it was back to Detroit to board a plane and come home. After going through a traffic jam, we picked up Sippi from boarding and came home.

Today is the final day of my vacation. I spent the morning mowing the yard just before a storm came up. Now, I'm sitting in the house hoping it will finally pass through since we are planning on going to see the Rangers play the Atlanta Braves. Don't stop the chop! :-) Tomorrow will be back to work and highly intensive since I will come back into a Kaizen event.

Monday??? No Problem!!

For the first time this year, I am not dreading Monday!! :) I am looking forward to this week. We are leaving for Michigan Thursday. We are really excited about seeing our friends! We will also go to Mackinac Island next weekend. Our 5th year anniversary will be Saturday. That is really hard to believe!!

Have a good week!

FREEDOM!!!

A summer of freedom!!! :) No school until August for me!! Wahoo!

big news that I promised!

My sister, Missy, is pregnant! She is due in January. We are really excited for her!!

update cont.

Not really much to update......
There is one huge update but I will wait until tomorrow evening to update on that!

My kiddos did really well on the math TAKS, I had 2 out of 21 that did not pass. I was really proud!! I haven't even been able to tell them the good news yet!! We will have a party on Friday to celebrate!

Stephen has been sick today. (vomiting!) I hope he gets better soon! It started when we got home from church.

I have been scrapbooking today. (planning some pages actually). I am working on a really big project.

Only 7 more school days!! Yippppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Update...

It's been a while since I have updated. We just got back from E. Texas. We had a blast as usual. I was able to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, Clear Springs along with momma's cooking! We were hit with some news while there. My sister and her husband are going to be missionaries in the Honduras in about 2 years. We're not sure how long they will be there. Plus, they are finally trying to have a baby! My family has been wearing the both of us out trying to make us have a baby. It hasn't been from lack of trying on my end, however. We have been trying to have a baby for about 3 years now. The Lord knows when the time is right.

Anyway....I am getting VERY excited about the closure of this school year. I am very ready for a break. Our third graders did very well on their reading TAKS test and our principal is very proud of us. We worked really hard to get them ready. Now we are just waiting to see about math results. We will be going on a vacation at the beginning of June, going to Michigan to see friends and go to Mackinac Island. Yeah!

Oh yea, big news on my end! I haven't really told very many people this. Next year I will be teaching 1st grade instead of 3rd grade. I am very excited about the change. NO TAKS! :)

Have a good week!!
Oh yeah! Sippi is doing great after her surgery. She is such a sweetie! Stephen feels better too! The dogs are better!

The dogs go to the doctor

Well, one trip to let a dog see the doctor was planned. Poor Sippi, it was time to get her fixed so we don't have any little Sipsters running around the house. I personally wouldn't mind another one, just not two going through the puppy stage so close together. One Sippi is all we can handle. Seriously, she was so happy to see the vet, unfortunately, I bet that's the last time she'll be so happy to see them. We are supposed to pick her up this evening, so we'll have an unhappy puppy for a few days.

As for the Sipster's human daddy, he ended up at the doctor this morning, too. I woke up Monday morning with a sore throat and it continues to get worse and I woke up this morning with a fever. So, I headed out to the local clinic and found out that I have something on the verge of strep throat. Two shots and a load of medication later, I hope to start feeling better. Poor Stacey, two grumpy dogs and the TAKS test. Y'all might want to pray for her...

Good Puppy

Puppy School ended tonight. While I am relieved that it is over, I'm kinda sad, too. Sippi has come a long way during the school. She was a little four pound ball of fur and now she weighs 16 lbs. She has learned to sit, stay (somewhat), leave it, come when called, lay-down, and other tricks. One of the cutest tricks is the high five/shake she does when she thinks she's getting a treat. Now, she is still overly hyper-active, but is calming down considerably and not taking out her aggression on me nearly as much. Next week, the Sipster will be 6 months old and then get the dubious pleasure of seeing the vet for a little surgery. I guess she better enjoy her visit with Grandma Pat this weekend because next week will be a doozy for her and us...

Company

We had plenty of company this weekend. Most of Stacey's family was here on Friday and Saturday for the garden dealings. Then Sunday, we got to see my college roommate, Chris, and his family. We added some pictures to the flickr page. Of course, I have always razzed Chris that if he had a son, that I would help train him in the maroon and white ways. After all, train up a child in the way of the Bulldogs and the Lord and when they get older they shall not depart.

Hey, don't you look like a lobster?

Well, one of the joys of homeownership is doing the yard work. Now, I say that rather tongue-in-cheek since I probably won't be enjoying it for the next twenty and a half years. Anyhow, I digress...Saturday, I spent the day doing yard work by mowing and trimming the edges of the yard. While, this was not the first mowing, actually the third, this one was the most intense. Stacey's mom and sister were here to uproot and replant the flower bed in front of the house. Not a big deal, but I ended up staying outside from 11AM to almost 5PM. Nice redneck sunburn and the top of my head and scalpline is burnt, too. Now I am peeling...what fun.

More March Madness

We went off and did something rather spur of the moment this weekend. Look here for the photos.

Yes, that was a surprise, but we had put a lot of miles on the previous car in less than 2 yrs and would rather take our chances with a new one to maintain one car payment (and hopefully) have less maintenance in the event the Pontiac has issues. Still have to say, we've been blessed with the Pontiac, 234,000 miles and still kicking.

Now where are those MSU decals???

March MAD-ness

OK, so it's that time of the year where I usually stay glued to the TV set. Unfortunately, the DFW area does not show the affinity for my Bulldogs that should be noted. Instead we were stuck , not once, but twice, watching Oklahoma. Fortunately, MSU puts on a better showing on Sunday than OU and they switched the coverage once OU started getting blown out. That serves all the Okies right for ever moving out and coming to Texas. :-) Anyway, my dream match-up of watching the MSU's (Miss. State and Michigan State) go head to head went down in flames. Maybe next year Sparties...

much ado about nothing....

Well, I am updating because I realized it has been a while since I last posted. To say things have been crazy would be an understatement. Thankfully, I am on spring break this week. I desperately needed it! My job seems to be taking a huge toll on me. I am always working, usually until 10 at night, just in time to go to bed. I am ready for summer!!! Just me and my Sippi!! Gladly, I found out today that our kiddos did really good on their state mandated test, which is awesome, thank you Lord!! Maybe we'll be appreciated for our HARD work!!!

We have enrolled our little Sippi in puppy training class. She needs some obedience!! It is an 8 week class and we are half way through with it. She seems to be getting a little better but she did tear some of our clothes the other day......She is the alpha dog and we need to show her who is the boss! :) The other day during class she darted out the front door of Petsmart into the parking lot and Stephen and I both nearly had a heart attack!! Luckily someone caught her eye and they were able to catch her!!

I think this is the only week that I am not looking forward to Friday!! I wish time would go slower, just for this week!

Wanna lose 10 pounds fast???

Let me tell you how! Just get a stomach virus and they will get flushed away before you know it. :) Yes, you guessed it! It hit me last Thursday morning about 1 am. I finally settled down about 7, then didn't get out of bed until 4 pm. Before I knew it, Oprah was on and I knew I had to crawl out of bed! I am just now beginning to get my appetite back. I don't know what it was, but I don't want it again any time soon!! I just pray Stephen doesn't get it!!

Poor little Sippi, she had to know I was sick. That morning when Stephen went to get her out of the kennel, she slipped away from him and ran upstairs to greet me. She just looked at me with pitiful eyes. It was then I knew I had a good dog!!

Bad doggie....

In recent weeks, our little darling blondie has been acting out of control. Poor Stephen has many bite marks/scratches to prove it!! We decided to enroll in puppy training. Tonight was the first night. Sippi did ok, she just got very excited at seeing the other little doggies. It was very interesting to hear what all we were doing wrong!! :) We have 7 more weeks of this!!

Tomorrow night she goes through more shots. She will not be happy!!

Are you smarter than a cockapoo?

In the spirit of the show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

Last night, we had just finished watching the aforementioned show and had left the dear Sippi in her playpen. Stacey was grading papers and I was tending to chores when out of the corner of my eye I saw something move on the couch. The Sipster was on the couch staring at Stacey and when I saw her, she tried to hide. I ask Stacey if she'd let Sippi out, and she replied, "No, did you?" Thus, I exclaimed, "Well, Hi, Sippi!" and she sheepishly whirled around to look at me. Needless to say, the little darling has learned to jump out of the playpen and walk clear across the sectional we have without making a sound.

Now the question begs to answer, are we smarter than a Sippi?

my niece

Sorry for not updating sooner...it has just not been real clear as to the condition of my niece. After doing several tests, the doctor believes she has seizures. Her daddy has them too. The doctor wants her to take a certain medicine. My sister looked it up and it seems to have many side effects. She has been very apprehensive about it but I think she is going to give it a try. Please pray that the medicine will help her out but yet not have any side effects.

Have a good week!

Puppy Tales Part 2

We planned on going to E.Texas this weekend for my parents' 39th anniversary. Sippi has not been traveling well in the car so we decided to board her at the vet's office. Plus, it was time for some more shots. I never knew someone could become so attached to a dog!! I was so sad to leave her on Friday! I can't wait until tomorrow to be able to pick her up!! :) Maybe she'll still love me!

Puppy Tales

Well, here we are and we've now had Sippi for 4 weeks. Sippi is now showing us tons of personality and the antics are quite humorous. First, we have the constant fascination with bathrooms. Whenever Sippi has gone to running roughshot through the house, a simple flush of the toilet will usually garner her attention. The puppy usually stops dead in her tracks and goes straight for the toilet and stands on her hind legs as if to see what will disappear. Next, we have the latest stunt she's been pulling: going up the stairs. No thanks to our niece, Lauren, coaxing Sippi up the stairs, we now have a doggy/child gate to prevent the darling(s) from running up the stairs. This afternoon, Sippi went all the way up the stairs and into our bedroom. Bad news...

Yet, it sure is entertaining!

Excuse me while I yawn...

Overnight was quite the experience. About 2AM, we were sound asleep only to be awakened by the burglar alarm. When I say sound asleep, I mean out cold, barely even heard the alarm asleep. Apparently, it was only a malfunction since there were no signs of forced entry, but it was one of those when you hear 105 dB of siren that just serves to leave you on edge for a while. Poor Sippi had never experienced the alarm going off and she was just trembling and crying to no end. Poor puppy got to endure it again when we ran a test on it with the monitoring service center. Now, I sit at home awaiting the service guy to come out and tell me what's wrong with my system. Maybe I can stay awake.

Red Green or Bob Vila

One of the joys (maybe pains) of being a homeowner as opposed to being a renter is now the projects are DIY (do-it yourself) instead of calling someone else to do it. While I naturally abhor the idea of doing something that I could pay someone to do, especially when they do it better than I do, I have been undertaking many projects at the house. Most recently, after hanging curtains and such, the larger projects have been installing shelving in the garage in order to remove the clutter and be able to park the vehicles in the garage. After all, when you have a two car garage, why should you have to park out in the driveway or street? But, I digress...

For those of you who have seen the Red Green Show, some of my projects have left me wondering whether sparing the duct tape was spoiling the job. In other words, should I have done something better or taken a shortcut. Yet, most of them have come out decently, I guess the judges will decide next weekend when we have the open house. As Red would say, "I'm pulling for you, we're all in this together..."

No news is good news???

Well, I'm not quite sure but we haven't heard anything about Lauren's MRI. We're still praying for good results.

She is also having an EEG on Friday. Please pray those results come back ok. My sister has to wake Lauren up at 2 am and keep her awake until the EEG. They want her to be sleep deprived when they give the test. She won't be happy! :)

please pray

I just wanted to update real quick to ask for prayer for my little niece. I just got back from Nacogdoches because she had some tests run today and I wanted to be there for her. She has been having "episodes" at night where she wakes up and doesn't know who/where she is and who anyone else is. She has also been having headaches. So, please pray that everything comes out ok with her MRI. She got very sick with the sedation they gave her. She vomited before and after the MRI. I was holding her after the MRI and she said, "I think I hear Aunt Stacey!" She didn't realize I was holding her!!

Hopefully we'll know something soon.