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?