Tigger

Hi! My name is Tigger and I am the family dog. I never got around to posting my story about running away recently, so I will do it now. About 2 weeks ago, Mom didn't shut the gate all the way after she had come into the backyard from the front yard. (The gate latches with a spring handled latch; I guess that is what they are called.) I hung out in the backyard for awhile, even though I had realized after Mom and Colby went inside that the gate wasn't completely shut. Well, after the 'rents went to bed, I decided I'd sneak out. Yeah, I don't remember exactly where I went, but I knew that my parents were worried about me. I noticed that they had posted signs all over the neighborhood about me being lost. After about 38 hours, I was pretty hungry and thirsty, so I made my way back home to find that they had left the gates open for me. Mom was so excited and happy I was back. Mom lectured me and told me to never do that again. She told me she cried off and on during those 38 hours and was worried sick. Dad, well, he was kinda mad at me since I knew better than to run away. Dad got over being mad at me really quickly. Anyways....here is a picture of my playing my turtle. Mom and Dad fill it up with water (even though technically it is a sandbox) so I can cool off when it is SOOO hot outside. I've learned my lesson and probably won't ever run away again!

Lack of Posting

Well, I'm bored and haven't posted anything in a few days so here ya go. Thanks to Kristin...


i am: bored.
i think: i'm ready to go eat.
i know: that I really should go do something more productive.
i want: to have a baby soon, but not just yet.
i have: many blessings in my life.
i wish: money grew on trees.
i hate: green peas.
i miss: my friends back home in west Texas.
i fear: loosing loved ones.
i feel: relaxed!
i hear: the tv in the living room.
i smell: rum in my Eskimo Hut drink.
i crave: sweets.
i search: the internet via google.
i wonder: if we will put in a pool next spring.
i regret: a few things, but not many.
i ache: when someone i love is hurting.
i care: deeply for my family and friends.
i always: kiss my husband each day.
i am not: a patient person.
i believe: that everything does happen for a reason.
i dance: whenever i want.
i sing: to drive my husband nuts.
i cry: often b/c I have a soft heart.
i don't always: react the way I should.
i fight: b/c I am hard headed.
i write: on occasion.
i never: have had a real massage.
i stole: this from Kristin.
i listen: to music all day.
i need: to finish shopping tomorrow.
i am happy about: finally having our house.

JDRF

My work is a corporate sponsor of JDRF and the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes walk is coming up September 27th. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the #1 non-profit funder of diabetes research worldwide. $.85 of every $1 raised, goes back to fund research. There are many devastating diseases in our world right now, and that saddens us. The difference with juvenile diabetes is that wiping it out of existence is extremely attainable and within reach.

My mom suffers from adult diabetes. I have several dear friends who suffer from diabetes, as well. I lost someone very special to me almost 9 years ago who suffered from diabetes. At the time he died, he was only 19.

Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, is a devastating, often deadly disease that affects millions of people--a large and growing percentage of them children. Many people think type 1 diabetes can be controlled by insulin. While insulin does keep people with type 1 diabetes alive, it is NOT a cure. Aside from the daily challenges of living with type 1 diabetes, there are many severe, often fatal, complications caused by the disease. That's the bad news... and yes, it's pretty bad.
The good news, though, is that a cure for type 1 diabetes is within reach. In fact, JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes research to date. And JDRF funds a major portion of all type 1 diabetes research worldwide, more than any other charity.

I'll tell a quick story of this little girl who came and spoke to a group of us here at work. She is 6 years old, actually she'll be 7 on Friday (same as my b-day). She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 3. She got up and gave a speech with absolutely no assistance from her dad. Anyways, she has been pricked (in her finger) over 10,000, had over 5000 shots, etc. She said, 'When I'm at a birthday party and my friends are watching the candles be lit. I can't watch b/c I have to be pricking my finger (testing her insulin) to see if my blood sugar is ok enough for me to be able eat cake and ice cream.' She continued on about her experience in living with diabetes and it really touched my heart. She was the most precious little girl, but to put myself in her shoes for just a few minutes, was such a reality check. To put myself in her dad's shoes as a parent, made the reality check even more surreal.

This year, I'll be taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes along with a half-million other walkers across the country. Our goal: To raise $100 million to help fund research for a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications. My goal is to raise $300. Please click on this link if you would like to contribute to the cause - http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87089680 - any amout you can donate is greatly appreicated.

Tagged - Quirks

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you: Nikki & Memo
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking to them
5. Leave a comment for each tagged blogger to let them know that they have been tagged
6. Quirks about me....

1. As I get older, I become more and more OCD.
2. I twirl my hair, all.the.freakin.time. <~~~bad habit i've had for YEARS!
3. I prefer to be swamped at work vs. not enough work. I get too bored.
4. I rarely can watch tv (or a movie) w/out falling asleep.
5. My feet have shrunk in size; i use to wear an 8, now I wear a 7.
6. Not sure how quirky this is - but I often wish we lived in a small town like I grew up in. (can't believe I'm saying that!)

I'm tagging - Krysie & Marty and whoever else reads this thing.

First day of school.....

Well, as I thought, this morning went fairly smoothly. I got the boys up in plenty of time, knowing that they would be ready in 1/2 the time I had alloted. I'm sure once this week is over, they will need the full time I allot for them to get ready. I am just as nervous for the first day of school for both of them, as they are. I know they are both adjusting to a new school and having to make new friends. Fortuantely, Colby knows one or two kids from our neighborhood that are in his school. Tristen, he doesn't know anyone at his school. Actually, I think there is one of his friends (who also moved over the summer) from his last school, but we only saw him once at Orientation, so I don't think Tristen has any classes with him.

With both the boys going to a new school this year (due to our move & Tristen going into Middle School), today was a learning experience. Colby's school was complete chaos as there were tons of parents trying to park anywhere possible so they could walk their kids into their classrooms. (Colby could actually ride the bus, but he doesn't want to. He'd have to be at the bus stop at 7:10am, which is really early and would require me to get up earlier too!) LOL! All I needed to do was drop Colby off. Finally, we were able to get him dropped off. I joked around with him and asked him if I needed to walk him to his classroom. He of course, said no.

After we dropped Colby off, Tristen and I headed down the street to his school. As I was driving, I was going over his instructions for after-school. Leave school, turn on cell phone, call or text me, walk straight home, call or text me again to let me know you are home. We turn into the parking lot and I see TONS of kids waiting outside. The school doesn't open until 8am and then the first bell rings at 8:35. Tristen decided he wants to eat breakfast at school so he has plenty of time to do so. I asked him if he wanted me to wait until they opened the doors. He said no. I was tearing up b/c I was so nervous/scared for him. I asked him again, "Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" He sternly told me, "NO!" He doesn't know a single person, but he was ready to go. I know he will be fine and he is an outgoing kid. I hope he adjusts well. *crosses fingers and toes and eyes and ears and legs*

Here's to hoping we have a successful first day! *Pictures to come soon!* (The original first day pictures I took, sucked! I'm not sure what happened w/the camera, but I'll have to take some pictures on their 3rd day of school!)

Back - to - school

Tomorrow is the first day of the new school year. The boys are all set and ready for the first day. New clothes for tomorrow are laid out, backpacks are ready, and the boys are bouncing off the wall!!!!!! They are driving us NuTs!!!!!!! Bedtime isn't for another hour and I'm ready for it now! They are uber excited for the first day, but I'm sure the excitement will wear off by the end of the week. I will post first day of school pictures tomorrow.

Before and After

Here are pictures of our front yard - before and after - Jason got a hold of it.

Picture from May 2008 (before we bought the house)

August 2008

August 2008