BREAK A LEG

SO.............

my birthday is tomorrow and what do I get?

My sweet little puppy

Charlie

slid off the bed Saturday night and

BROKE

his leg and he will be having

SURGERY

tomorrow

.

After he is well enough to come home....

someone will have to be with him 24/7

for two weeks.

Did I mention his nickname is

"Wildthing"?

I am not sure,

but I may be depressed and I may need a glass of wine.

Check back tomorrow.......

THIS AND THAT

I am so looking forward to the weather this weekend.

I cannot wait to get outside and spruce up some of the beds. We are having pine straw and mulch delivered this afternoon and tomorrow after church, we have a few guys coming to help get it out. We have a big yard that requires a lot of pine straw and mulch every spring. We are getting a dump truck full of mulch and 100 bales of pine straw! I love the way fresh mulch smells!

When all is said and done, I am looking forward to the yard looking so fresh and new, ready for some summer flowers to be planted.

I am sure the deer can hardly contain their excitement about the new items that will soon added to the menu!

(They have been devastating this winter.)

(just two days ago)

It was beautiful outside yesterday. It made it all the way up to 75. I have to say, walking puppies 376+ times a day is much more enjoyable when the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the cherry trees are blooming.

I took a magazine outside and sat on the front porch steps and let them run and play until they were tired. That is one thing they rarely are these days..... tired.

I got a little sad sitting there because I am used to going and sitting on my front porch steps or swing and calling my mom. I was really missing her yesterday and feeling very lonely.

I have gone from having a mom I talked to several times a day on the phone (about very random stuff) to not calling anyone, kind of quitting cold turkey.

I miss her.

I told the Man of the House that I think 45 is too young to not have a mother.

Lord willing, I have a lot of living to do and it is a long time to go without having a mom.

My birthday is this week (23rd) and it will be the first birthday ever that I won't see her or get a birthday call from her. She was always so very good at things like that, she never forgot anyones birthday and always made it special.

She even tried to plan her visits to our house on the girls' birthdays so she could be here

for them.

*********************************

(random change of subject)

#2 is having a ball in New York and she is sad that this is her last day.

She had a great time experiencing St. Patrick's Day in the city.

It is such a big event there, a huge celebration.

Someone randomly took a picture of #2 and her friend and posted it on their blog.

She sent the picture to me too.

She is coming home tomorrow. I have to pick up the three girls at the airport, drop #2's friends off at the dorm and then bring #2 home with me. Her car is here and she has to unpack from her trip and then repack before heading back to school. It is so nice that she goes to school so close to home.

****************

(another random change in subject)

#1's sorority is having Parent's Weekend.

(Chapel Hill - 30 minutes away)

The Man of the House is playing in the golf tournament today.

There is a cocktail tonight.

#1 hasn't planned on going.

Her boyfriend cannot go because he is out of town for his spring break and she didn't want to go dateless. There is a band playing and she didn't want everyone else to be dancing with their dates and she not have anyone to dance with. We were just going to go for the dinner after the golf tournament today.

So I planned accordingly.

I did not go shopping for my "cocktail attire".

I just got a call from her and she has changed her mind.

"Mom don't kill me, but I think I might want us to go the cocktail tonight."

Great!!

I am convinced that size zero/two girls don't understand the issue of not having anything to wear. You know how it is when you are old(er) and large(r).

You wear things, not because they actually look good on you, you wear them because they hide and camouflage things.

Young skinny girls don't understand it takes a lot prayer to find something to wear to an event that is age appropriate and size appropriate. Things have to have just the right amount of sleeves to hide that ugly part, they cannot be ruffled or if they are, ruffled in just the right places so that the ruffles don't look like projectiles. I cannot do shiny either. There are parts of me that I just don't want to "glow". And I definitely need something stretchy.

I am 1000% positive that I do not have anything hanging in my closet

that I can wear tonight and

shopping for "cocktail attire" is not on my list of things to do today.

I have puppies to watch after all.

Speaking of puppies......

I do not hear Charlie and Lola

and

I know what that means.......

they are into something they shouldn't be!

Have a great weekend!

BUSY AS BEES

It has been three weeks since

Charlie and Lola

joined our family.

They have adjusted nicely and are working hard at getting the potty thing

figured out.

We are exhausted and are just trying to stay one step ahead of them.

They are no longer quiet, sweet and innocent puppies,

they are just the opposite.

They are constantly on the move and into everything.

Lola did sit still long enough for me

to get a few clear pictures of her this week,

but Charlie hasn't been as cooperative.

They play hard and then sleep like hamsters.

*************

GOOD WEEKEND GONE

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Are you doing anything special today?

I am planning on cooking up a little corned beef and cabbage.

I am so behind with posting. Since my mom passed away, I am really feeling like I will never get back on track. I have been a little busier and computer time has fallen a little down on my list of things to do. I am trying to get back into the swing of things. So here it is, Wednesday, and I am just now getting #2's birthday pictures from the weekend posted.

Our weekend and the beginning of the week was full of puppies, birthday celebrations, restaurants, spring breakers, soccer, spin class and shopping. The rest of this week is supposed to be gorgeous and warm. I cannot wait to get outside.

#1 was home last week for spring break. It was wonderful having her home. I love it when she is here because she loves going to the gym and really nags me until I stop making excuses and go with her. She and I went to the gym five times and ended up going to four killer spin classes. We even talked The Man of the House into joining us on Saturday. I am so proud of myself, but now that she is back at school, I have to keep it up by myself. That is going to be hard to do.

This week is #2's spring break. She came home on Friday but yesterday she flew to NYC. One of her good friends at school lives in Long Island and invited some of the girls on their hall to come and visit. She was so excited. I took her to the airport yesterday and dropped her off. It felt very strange doing that. She checked in and flew by herself. None of my girls have ever done that before. I know that she is going to see New York very differently with her friends than she does when we go. The girl that she is staying with grew up there and knows all of the good places to shop and eat. I think it is very exciting and cannot wait to hear her stories and see the pictures. (MCW... watch out for her!)

Our family celebrated #2's birthday on Friday night. We went to the restaurant of her choice and I wasn't surprised that she wanted steak. That is what she usually chooses. Afterwards, we went home to open presents and have cake.

This is an orange raspberry cake that I saw Giada make on TV.

It was really really good and easy to make.

my man and Charlie

she is liking that little blue box.....

***************

I talked to #2 last night. She and her friends were watching a movie and then planning on going to bed early. They needed their sleep. They are riding the train into the city early this morning and are planning on shopping all day. I have a feeling that birthday gift card will come in handy today.

NINETEEN THINGS

#2 turned 19 on Monday.

She was born on 3-08 at 3:08.

We haven't had our family celebration for her yet, we are having that tonight.

We are going out to eat and then coming home to open presents.

Here are 19 pictures/fun things about #2.

#1

She LOVES to sleep late.

#2

She is very flexible and graceful.

#3

She used to be a itty bitty thing,

but now she is taller than everyone in our family except for her dad.

#4

She is artistic.

She is in the design school at NC State and majoring in Graphic Design.

(school project)

a portfolio piece

before

after

#5

When she was in high school, she had an annual cookie exchange and photo session at our house for all of her friends.

#6

She looks good in animal print.

#7

She's been up to her neck in sand.

#8

She ate dinner at a table next to Mike Ditka.

#9

Her cheerleading team won a National Championship (and the coveted jacket) at

Cheersport in Atlanta

and then went on to place third at Worlds.

#10

Hair....

and lots of it!!

#11

She went to Mexico twice with her youth group and learned how to mix and pour cement.

#12

This is the day she turned 12.

#13

Blue eyes by the Black Eyed Susans

#14

The BIG 1 - 4 !

#15

Hating her braces on her 15th birthday!

#16

Sweet 16!

#17

She turned 17 in Puerto Rico.

#18

Sweet 18!

#19

She loves her puppies!!!