A/C issues part Deux

This is what we would be doing if we were home today. Our motor for our air conditioner fan is burning up. Not totally burnt up but burning up. So it is warm at our house. The girls have fans and will be sleeping all day anyway so they won't be upset. We will just have to replace the motor this evening. The good thing is that Mister has already found us one and it is half of what we thought it would be. These sure are the dog days of summer!

Writer's Workshop - Things that make me smile

Your Assignment, Should You Choose To Accept
This week's assignments are:
1.) Describe someone in your life who you might not know as well as you think you know.2
.) Write a poem about a memory you sometimes wish would disappear.
3.) Write a list of 10 things that are sure to put a smile on your face when you are not happy.
4.) People would be surprised to learn that…
5.) A snappy comeback!

Head over to Mama Kat's to find out more about it or to link up! It is tons of fun!

I chose the prompt write a list of 10 things that are sure to put a smile on your face when you are not happy.

1. 2.

3. Just being out in nature is wonderful. It doesn't even matter if I get anything!

4. Same as above. It is so nice to just be out in nature.

5. My garden is another thing that makes me happy. It is so neat to see all the small plants become bigger and start producing.

6.

7. I love doing anything with crafting. It is so neat to see something come to life. 8. Cooking. I get to create something from scratch and it has another purpose, to nourish us!

9. Everyone of my personal collection of figurines has a special memory or meaning behind it.

10. Reading a good book, canning or any one of a numerous list of things that I love to do!

Now it is your turn. Choose a prompt, write and head over to link up!

Dear Dog letter

Place low on the fridge or near eating places

Dear Dogs and Cats,
The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years -- canine or feline attendance is not required.
The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:
To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About OurPets:
1.They live here. You don't.
2.If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it 'fur'niture.)
3.I like my pets a lot better than I like most people. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.
Yours truly,
Your Pet Parents

What would you do if you were sitting there trying to do homework?????

And Sasha was staring at you like this???? I had to cuddle with her a little bit and then had to get back to doing homework. So she decided that there was no way she was going to let me do homework. So then this is where she ended up...... She is laying between the arm of the couch and myself, sitting with my laptop on the couch. It is difficult to do the homework with her lying like that.
This is where Roxy ended up.

She is on the other couch and she doesn't bother me most of the time. If she isn't laying like the above picture, she is stretched out. I know that it looks uncomfortable but she seems to like it. It is hard to do my homework when the adorable girls are wanting my attention!

And everyone wonders why we have waited to have kids???? The dark brown eyes looking at me over the book is bad enough, imagine if they could do more than look and bark at me???? Like actually speaking? That would just absolutely rock my world and make it impossible to complete. So now back to the homework.... If I can manage to stop Sasha from looking at me!

Christmas Blizzard 2009

The beautiful front yard!!
Pure, untouched snow.

Sasha trying to decide if she is liking it.

Roxy getting ready to take off running.

Last night being Christmas eve we were back and forth between family and the snow didn’t stop us!!! We were at my in-laws and L comes up to me and says “Ya Ya, I need your help.” She takes me by the hand and leads me back to the play room. She said “Ya Ya, I need you to get two cots for you and Matt to sleep on.” I cracked up laughing and tried to explain to her that we were sleeping on the blowup mattress and that we would get it out in a little bit. We needed to run home to let our dogs out so we were getting ready to leave and I crouched down and told her that we were running to our house and we would be back but she needed to go ahead and go to bed so that Santa could come. She grabbed onto my hands and said “But Ya Ya!!!! You and Matt have to sleep here so I can come and get you up!” I told her that we would be back and explained that Roxy and Sasha needed to get out and go potty. She understood that then and let us run home so we ventured out into the blizzard.

Blizzard was an understatement. We live 3 ¼ miles from one set of in-laws. It took us a full 10 minutes to get home and getting back was worse. Matt couldn’t see the road so we were “team driving” I could see where the snow was blowing and gathering at the side so I was telling him how close he was to the edge and that is how we got back. We were glad that we were somewhere to stay so we broke open the hard apple cider that I had bought at the liquor store and got started putting stuff together. L got a doll house, dolls and B got a trike, a talking Thomas the train and a table that was a road to drive cars on.

L left a note for Santa : Reindeer love carrots and Santa loves cookies and milk. She left cookies, milk, a bowl of carrots and a bowl of water. (She said that the reindeer needed something to drink.) Santa replied: L, thank you so much for the cookies and milk. The reindeer liked the carrots and needed a drink. Santa.

We spent the night there and at 5 o’clock this morning our bedroom door was flung open and we heard “Matt, Ya Ya, Santa was here!!!!” So we got up and went to look and see what Santa brought (speaking of, my fingers are still hurting from pushing all those brads in!!! ) and then got down to the business of opening gifts. B opened one gift that was an Old Navy zip up hoodie and when his mom asked him if he liked it he was quick to answer no, shaking his head. Matt’s dad made the most wonderful French toast and then we plowed our way home. As soon as the girls got outside Roxy ran around loving the snow and Sasha wanted to run right back inside. They did play a little and enjoyed the snow and now we are sitting in the warm house, enjoying the time to rest. I just made rolls (they rose last night) and am getting ready to start stitching for a little bit! Merry Christmas everyone!

Writers Workshop: Destructive Pets

This is a part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. It is the most fun and you really should jump over and check it out. We always have tons of fun and learn all sorts of new stuff. There are five prompts to look at and chose one to write about. Or choose them all! Mine this week is......

Describe the most destructive thing your pet has done.

Meet my girls, Sasha and Roxy....

The little white miniature schnauzer is Sasha. She is 2 1/2 years old and she was picked out from birth. She weighs 12 lbs. The big white lab is Roxy. She just turned 2. She THINKS that she weighs 12 lbs but she actually weighs 85 lbs. That doesn't stop her from trying to sit on our laps though!

Which of these girls would be the destructive hellion in our home?

Is it the big gorgeous lab that loves to LAY on my love seat that is a rocker recliner???? (I am so worried that she is going to break this but isn't it hilarious to see? She has learned this from the little one who lays on the back of the couch.)

Or maybe it is the cute little one who loves to cuddle under a blanket while I am cross stitching...

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BINGO!!!!

I know that she looks innocent but you should see what she can do.

Although she is absolutely beautiful she is the one who is a destructive hellion in our home.

Now which story to tell......

Here she was trying to *help with the dishes*

Or there was the time..... I am going to let you in on TWO times she has been majorly destructive...

I came home early from work that night and was looking forward to relaxing for a bit... But that didn't happen at all! I walk in and Sasha gave herself away that she had done something. When she has done something wrong her ears lay flat and she hangs her head. She knows that she is in trouble! I walk through the house to let Roxy out of her kennel and realized what she had done...

My book bag is a messenger type bag that can handle my books for when I have two classes a night. A normal school book bag was too small for the books, binders, pencils, pens, stapler and all that other stuff that I need. I had set it by the desk that the computer and all my school stuff is on. The one thing that I didn't do was zip it up.

Big Big Big mistake. It was my first ever of course! It looked like it had snowed inside my house. She had pulled my small dictionary, my big binder, my book and some dividers to put in a binder out. The binder was okay, the dividers were demolished and she decided that she didn't like linguistics any more than I did... she tore the back cover off and the last page - which are both charts that were important and something that I needed. She had also found a magazine and had demolished it as well, hence the snow....

I was running around my house, chasing my dog and yelling at her. She did the best thing that she could do and slipped out the door. About 5 minutes later, as I am trying to put things back together, she peeks her head around the door to look at me. Matt came home a few minutes later and didn't make the situation any better by laughing but at least he helped me clean it up and try to piece it back together.

I sent a message off the Roxanne (my lifesaver) and she loved the story but also said that she would make me a copy of the pages that I need. So I went to Wal-mart, got some red duct tape (it matched the intact front cover), and fixed my book. I have learned that she HAS to stay kenneled up and that makes all of us much happier in the long run...

But before I learned that hard lesson..... Here is story number two!!!

Matt went to pick up the box springs for our new bed that we were going to make. While he was doing that I ran to Joplin to get a set of sheets and the stain that we would need for the bed. I bought two quarts of stain and set it, still in the plastic bag, on the kitchen table. Didn't think a second thing about it.

I got up and went to work that Saturday morning and Matt was out hunting so Roxy was in our room in her kennel and Sasha had the run of the kitchen/dining and living room. I call Matt at a little before 11:00 to make sure he had gotten home to watch the OU game and he had. I asked him what he was doing and his exact words were "Cleaning up your dogs mess". A million different scenarios went through my head.... What had she gotten into now?????

Now I should say that Sasha is a nosy dog and loves to know everything that is going on. When I come home from the store and set the bags on the floor the first thing that she does is stick that nose inside the bag to see what is in there that she might like.

She also loves food. So if a bowl or bag is left in reach or to where she can jump up to (like the kitchen table or the kitchen counter) she will have it on the kitchen tile floor. She has grabbed a two pound loaf of homemade bread before, ate 1 pound and hid the other pound for later.So I am trying to figure out what she has knocked off.

-----She knocked the stain off----

------Ebony stain on my cream tile floor ------

Only one quart opened and luckily it wasn't shook up so Matt was able to clean it up except for the grout, which looks like I have black mold growing in it!!! I was so glad that she didn't get into and spread it all around. I would have cried then. The only thing we can figure is that she had just done it. She knew she was in trouble and ran outside and stayed out there until Matt was done!!!!! I was the one then who was laughing at Matt. We had friends coming over for a football party and to watch the game. They came in just as Matt was finishing up wiping it up. We only ruined one mop, three towels and Roxy's blanket. And of course the grout in the tile! It is looking better now and is *hardly* noticeable.

I love both of my girls and wouldn't trade them for the world but there are sometimes..... And then I look at them cuddled up next to me in the morning, or while I am cross stitching and I have one on each side of me, or when we are outside and they are looking at what Matt is doing while staying near me and taking care of me. Then I feel that puppy love that is so strong and wonderful. But..... They are both kenneled up when we leave every day. I love them but I am refusing to clean up any more *snow*, food, and messes out of the floor just 'cause my baby is nosy and bored!!!!

And then I get that lick on the cheek and the cuddling at night and forget about it for just a little bit!

Confusion of identity....

What do you think that my beautiful Roxy is doing? Is she looking for something? Is she smelling something? No.... My baby is eating grass. She is having a clashing confusing sense of who she is. She must think that she is a cow!

Huh Mom? I am a dog??????

This is Sasha and she is stretching. This is a stretch that only a schnauzer can do!

Hi everyone. My name is Sasha and I am absolutely spoiled. It is nice to meet you!

Sasha is 2 years old!!!

So I was planning on doing this post last night but we didn't get home until late so here it is one day late! Sasha was born June 24, 2007 and I think that she was meant for me! I wanted a white female and she was the only white female that was born. I waited impatiently for her to get big enough to come home with me and drove them crazy with visits to see her. She finally got to come home and it has been an experience ever since! From the rabies scare, to Sasha not liking my liguistics class ( or text book! ), to someone being their nosy self and wanting to see what was in the bag on the table and ending up with a very messy floor, to seeing my girl hunting mice and catching them and everything in between, it has been so much fun. We are so lucky to have her and to have that endless love of a dog. She will get Frosty Paws for her and her sister tonight and them back to normal life and catching mice!!!

This is my baby now...
One of my favorite pictures of her.

She loves the boat

Just restin and chillin...

I promise I was just trying to help you mom!!!

They were dirty and they smelled sooooo good!

Sasha and Dad having a talk about fishing.

I promise I didn't do whatever it is that you think I did.

First night that I went into my kennel all by myself.

The first day that I was home.

5 1/2 weeks old and Momma is wanting me home!!!

Hello everyone!

I know it has been awhile since I have posted anything much and I will do better. We have been crazy busy around our house. Matt's grandfather was put in a nursing home on one side of the family and his great-grandmother that he/we have taken care of for around 10 years fell about three weeks ago and lay in the floor overnight. It has been a big mess, but long story short she is in a nursing home so we are going to see her quite often so I will ask forgiveness once again! I will do better.

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I planted 5 cucumber seeds this year thinking that I would be lucky to have 2 come up. Guess how many came up????? ALL FIVE!!! I will have tons of cucumbers this year but that is okay! I am excited about having some fresh veggies to eat. I also have corn, sweet peppers, bell peppers, lettuce, tomatoes and some carrots thrown into the mix. I am thinking that I won't be doing the carrots next year or the lettuce or corn but some squash sure sounds good. I have gotten Matt to try it for the first time last year and now he loves it! So I guess that is something that I will have to plant next year. I am trying to figure out what to plant so any ideas would be wonderful!

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It is hot around here. It is about 100 degrees!!!! This is way earlier than normal for it to get hot. We have been watering the garden constantly. It will pay off in the end.

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I know that you probably get tired of hearing about my girls but Sasha the miniature schnauzer is such a doll. We have been having a mouse problem. The more that I talk to people I realize that it isn't just us, that it is everyone around this area. So a week and a half ago I decided to shampoo the carpets. Sasha had been going crazy over the couch and I soon found out why..... The mice had a trail that they ran and it was right under the couch. I flipped out and finally got Matt to tweak and set the traps that we had bought. We caught two within the first couple of hours and then one a day for the next few days. We are now up to 13 on our war against mice. But we have only caught 8, Sasha has caught the other five. Matt saw one had ran behind the cd case stand. He moved it and she ran in for the kill. Later that night Matt got up and Sasha had left a present for us in the middle of the kitchen floor..... A dead mouse. The last four that we have caught are babies, no longer than a inch and a half. I believe that everything is here for a reason but I don't like mice living in my house..... It is MY HOUSE!!!! I share it with my husband and two dogs, not mice. So we will get this problem taken care of!

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I have been cooking with the crock pot quite a bit and I am thinking about taking a deer roast and slow cooking it all day and then pulling it apart and putting barbecue sauce and some liquid smoke, among other things, in it for sandwiches. Anyone else tried this? We try to find different ways to cook everything. Last night Matt made some steaks that he battered and fried but my stomach was in knots the last couple of days and was getting better last night but I didn't want to risk it so I will have them tonight. One of the girls here is talking about potato soup and I know it is summer but it sounds soooo good!

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I just got a phone call from the hospital where my mom was at during her fight with breast cancer and I have found out a few promising things. My dad isn't signing the release of information so I can have the records.... I am very very hurt and irritated but this. It is nothing that will hurt him and something that will only help me. he has had the paperwork for almost 6 weeks and still has done nothing. I am about to scream. He says that I should have it by the end of the week. If this doesn't go through then I will have to sign an affidavit and the records can be sent to the doctors office who is doing the testing but the issue with that is that I will see him one time and one time only. I am just hoping that my dad will send the stuff to me so I don't have to go the other route.

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To end on the upside I am getting off early today so I am going home to start moving things and rearranging how they are in the bedrooms. I may have to try and take some before and after pictures. We don't have closets, but we have shelves and places to hang things so it is interesting! I am betting that in the extra room I will find some little mice who have made a home in there! Hope your day is great!!

Look at what I am babysitting!!!

Meet Halle! She is 8 weeks old and doesn't even weigh 1 pound yet! She is soooo teeny tiny!

I think that she loves being photographed, it was just hard trying to get her to stay still!

Here is a picture to let you see how small she is next to me and the girls!

I know I have big feet but......

I get to have her for a week and am loving every minute of it! She has personality tonight! She is talking to us like crazy, which is typical for a schnauzer!!! I am going to go and check the kennel tonight. Having her around almost makes me want to get another puppy but then she grabbed hold of my shoes and bit me and I remembered how much those puppy teeth hurt and how glad I am that the girls have grown up! But one day I will want another little one!

Matt's great grandmother fell and we put her in the hospital and she is now in a nursing home. Hopefully she will stay there where people can take care of her. She is 93 and has lived a good life but it is so hard to see her go downhill like she has. That is why I haven't been on here much... Can't wait to get caught back up on everything!!!

Sasha get the.....

To some of you this won't seem like a big deal but to me it is. Sasha, my adorable little miniature schnauzer, caught a mouse. We live of 5 acres and if I were to describe what is around me it would be cows, pasture and more pasture. So of course there are mice outside! Well.... there is some stuff back behind the house and Sasha was going crazy so Matt lifted up pice of sheet metal and she went in for the kill. The only bad thing is that I was at school and didn't get to see it. But I got to see the end result and now everytime she goes out she is looking for another mouse. All you have to say is "Sasha, get the mouse" and she bolts for the back and starts smelling, trying to find out where they are. So my baby is now a mouser, just like she was bred for. Now if I can just get my labrador retriver to retrieve....

Spring has sprung!!!

That is my Roxy and as you can see all the green grass hasn't came in yet but it is working on it. The down side to spring for Roxy is the green grass. She is allergic to is and she has started breaking out on her belly again. She got her rabies shot today and she weighs 84.5 lbs. We are going to switch her to adult dog food even though she isn't 2 years yet. She needs to lose about 9 lbs. the vet said. I am okay with that and the adult dog food will help with the lower calories. She isn't fat, she just needs to lose that puppy fat! She will be wonderful in a couple weeks I am sure. We are outside some much that she is running a ton more!!!

Sasha Dawn

I got this on my email and it made me think so much of Sasha that I had to show Matt. As soon as he looked at it he said "Look! It is Sasha!" My baby is a true blue schnauzer!!!

The girls

If you are at our house this is what you will hear... and we love it to no end!