Party like it's '99

Wait, no...make that party like it's the 99th post. ;)  Plus, it has almost been a full year of blog-fun for me.  My how it has flown. =)

I guess you could say I am not prepared to bid a fond farewell to 2008 when I looked at J about 5 minutes ago and proclaimed "oh yeah, it's New Year's Eve...?!"  

We've been sick around here, that'll be my excuse for now.  Even though I feel generally cruddy right now, I did want to post something to end 2008.  What better way than to finish a thought I've been promising to finish for a while now.  The nothing new update.  Finally. ;)

Way back in October--what feels simultaneously like a moment and a lifetime ago--we pledged to ourselves a month of anti-consumerism.  We weren't going to buy anything new, save consumables like food, bath needs, and medicine; though thankfully we are not a very medicated family. ;)  Because we are indecisive, commitment-phobic folks much of the time, we only planned a month-long experiment.  It went even better than we could have imagined.  

How well it went can be summed up like this:

A)  We really didn't miss buying stuff, 

B) it was fun coming up with alternatives to buying new, and 

C) we couldn't argue with the pocketbook at the end of the month.  =)

We have had an un-official budget for quite a while now of keeping our monthly non-bill spending to x amount or below (again, no I'm not sharing what x stands for because it seems wrong; never discuss money or politics, right?!).  Well, during our month of nothing new, we were over $600 below x!!!  It was wonderful, and again, you can't argue with savings like that.  

Those of you that actually know us though, know that we seriously don't like stuff that much so it is really hard to account for where that savings actually came from.  One thing that made a difference was that we didn't have any travel expenditures that month (which was strange for us for about the last half of 2008).  Of course, to my line of thinking, travel expenditures don't count as "stuff" spending anyway, so...ugh.  Back to square one on explaining the savings. ;)

All that said, the hardest parts of nothing-new for us are Bugga and the pets.  I'm not against used clothes and such for the Bug, but shoes for one are hard to come by in a used form that I'm really comfortable with, especially since (as my smart and thrift-wise sis-in-law Danelle pointed out) shoes often form to feet.  As for the pets...uh, used dog toys?!  Yeah, I don't think so.  Have you seen dog toys after they've been actually used as dog toys? ;)  

Let's face it, we all have way more stuff in our lives than we ever really need.  It gets silly.  I, for one, am ready to simplify.  I've been ready.  Heck, one of the reasons I really had to adjust to the whole idea of parenthood was because kiddos come with stuff. ;)  (Though even there, you really can get by with much less than commercials or a visit to Target would indicate.  HAHA.)

Hmm, so what is my point?  That is a great question and since I'm a little under the weather, I'm having a hard time remembering. ;)   Many brave souls out there commit to an entire year of nothing new, like my bloggy pal Leah is contemplating.  

For us, I think the experiment just brought into finer focus our personal approach to needs v. wants and all the stuff that is constantly dangled in our face, being told we need it, we want it, we have to have it.  I think it is human nature to want, in many ways, but in our modern society, we project this want onto things all too often.  Instead of placing it on activities, relationships, experiences, things that can't necessarily be measured and valued as specifically as the things we spend our money on.

Okay, this is all too much for my sickly brain tonight, so excuse me if I'm not making sense.  I need a picture.  This one seems to fit.

We did get Grady Christmas gifts.  We didn't get him much, just some books and a standard unit block set.  And you know what he has been playing with the most for the better part of the last week?  Yup, a box.  =)  Which is funny considering one of the books we got him is Not a Box, a very cute book that highlights imagination and the natural tendency of children to play with simple objects like boxes.

Going into 2009, my motto is "there is more to life than stuff."  ;)  Okay, it's not far off from how I've felt for years now, but with a few well-planned loopholes, J and I will enter into a year of...well, very little new.  I just want to spend another year enjoying my super Bug, my wonderful hubby, my amazing pets and foster dogs, and everyone else we love, whether from a distance or those we will be lucky enough to actually see and actually hug. =)

Happy New Year everyone!  Party extra for me, because I doubt I'll make it to midnight. ;)  

Can you believe it?!

It is Christmas Eve already?!  Pure insanity, I tell you.  It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time goes by while we go about our daily lives. ;)

Even Bug seems a bit surprised by it all.  Hehe.

And some randomness while I'm making supper tonight.  We went to Omaha this past weekend and had an awesome visit with so many people:  (in order of appearance) second college roomie Ruth, J's parents, J's sis Danelle and her 3 kiddos, the bride Maren whose wedding spurred this great trip (and her family and new hubby of course), my brother and sister-in-law and their 3 kiddos, our amazing friend Beth, and my first college roomie Amanda and her 2 kiddos (and 3 daycare kids too).  Whew, so much fun packed into a relatively short amount of time.  Of course, we didn't take near enough pictures, so not everyone will be reflected here.  Still, here is a small glimpse back at our weekend.

The boys at the hotel.  Bugga was slightly obsessed with the phones in our adjoining suites.  He had so much fun with all his cousins, it was adorable to watch.

Memaw and Papaw Jackson and the Bug himself (excuse the poor lighting here, sorry!).

We came home to lots of the white stuff.  Enough that I have gotten the car stuck in the driveway twice, much to J's chagrin.  He certainly wouldn't have gotten it stuck, so it must be my driving skills (or lack thereof). ;)  Oh well.  It sure is pretty out. =)

To close today, here are some snuggly girls. =)  We are so blessed to not only have our wonderful Bugga boy, but 3 beautiful and (mostly, hehe) well behaved girl doggies right now, and of course our sweet and somewhat neglected cats. ;)  

We know many of you out there are similarly blessed in your lives.  Sending holiday wishes and lots of love to all tonight.  

Better go, supper is almost on the table and then we will be taking a ride to check out all the lights, something I have fond memories of doing with my grandparents growing up.  Here's hoping traditions, new or old, and lots of love are characterizing this holiday season for all of you too. =)

Girl Power

The snow has fallen and I have found myself with an unexpected day at home with the hubby and all the pets and the little man...just my kind of day!  ;)

And as good a day as any for an update.  We are officially on estrogen overload around here.  Meet Lulu Blue:

Yes, tiny puppy.  Yes, female.  Yes, ADORABLE.  Not to mention SASSY!  Big girl attitude trapped in a puppy body. =)

Lu is part of a litter of 7 that found themselves homeless sitting in animal control and amazingly, all the wonderful volunteers of A Rotta Love Plus stepped up and found placement for all 7.  It is slated to be temporary though, as the pups are scheduled to go the Humane Society later this month after a parvo hold is up.  

J, however, is IN LOVE.  What's new?!  This guy is ridiculous when it comes to puppies.  =)

All 3 girlies are doing well together.  Paisley is a tad on the annoyed side, Bailey has adjusted really well, and Lu isn't phased by anything that comes her way.  Confidence is a trait she has in abundance at this time. ;)

Bug LOVES all the pets, so another little one is just gravy for him.  Plus, she is another one he thinks he can pick up. ;)

And one I can fit in my coat for a short outing.  That bundle is ALL puppy, so don't go getting any ideas anyone!

The puppy pen has proven a slightly fruitless exercise with this one. ;)

So that is the state of things around here.  Tons of fun, as always.  This coming weekend, we'll be heading to Omaha for an old friend's wedding and a visit with some family and friends. Should be awesome, just pray for good weather!  

I haven't forgotten that I want to do an update on the nothing-new experiment.  I'll try to come up with other non-dog things to talk about too, I promise.  ;)  

The Bug is calling for lunch, so I should go.  WAIT, I haven't even had my coffee yet Buggie!  Can we slow down...please... =)

Bailey Rae and other goodness

Okay, quickly today...Bailey Rae is still here (yup, she got herself a middle name, unlike the rest of the household furry fellows whose "middle name" is really just their species, i.e. Paisley Dog Jackson, hehe).  She's fabulous, cuddly, playful, a good listener, and we couldn't be more pleased with our current pittie population. ;)

She is beautiful, don't you think?! =)  

The best news of all though is that she and Paisley are FRIENDS!  Can you believe it?!  They get along so well, eat side by side, quite often sleep together at night, and are just very peaceful together.  It is so lovely!   Yup, life is pretty easy-peasy with these 2, making us kind of lazy doggie parents really.  Though that is changing...an update on that soon. ;)

I hope to give an update on our month of "nothing new" that ended a while back.  The short version for now:  it was a SUCCESS!  =)  And then came this month, but I don't really want to talk about that. ;)

Some of you may know that I am slightly blog obsessed.  It's an affliction really.  Not sure of the cure.  BUT, it's not ALL bad because there are some wonderful things happening out there via blogs.  There are great ideas, and calls to action, and just lots of thought-provoking folks out there doing good and blogging about it. =)

Here is just a sampling of what has caught my eye lately...

BAD RAP to help group of OK dogs - You knew at least one was going to be dog related, right?!

Recycling Christmas - Um...AWESOME!  Note to fam, this is what I want for Christmas next year. *wink*  Okay, this OR for us to travel somewhere warm.  Not both because we don't want to take the stuff with us do we?!)

Cans for Comments - Having formerly managed an emergency food pantry, this idea really stuck out for me.  Of course, I had to suggest that they really give a treat and donate a bag or 2 of fresh produce too. ;)

And of course, I know there are lots of other people out there doing wonderful, amazing things and not necessarily blogging about it and that is awesome too.  Heck, if you're doing something great, I'd love to hear it!  Have some cool way of giving back to your community?  Or maybe some charity you think rocks and I should know about it?  Do tell!  

In the meantime, I'll be wrangling me some super Bugga and some foster dogs--like I said, update soon--and trying to stay warm and probably thinking about what else I can do this holiday season, or year-round, to make a positive impact, whether big or small.  Because it all adds up in the end, right?!

I'll sign off with this total mis-fire on the camera.  It just makes me giggle a little.  And even if all we can do sometimes is bring a smile to another person's face, then that is something in my book.  

ps~Your comments bring a smile to my face. ;)  Just sayin'....

Just your random Saturday gush...

Oh my, I really LOVE this kid...

That's all. ;) Over and out blogland.

"Papa & Me" Friday

So yesterday wasn't a good day.  I was tired, cranky, the mailman honked in our driveway and woke up a similarly tired and cranky Bugga.  Just not good and I don't mean to complain really, because I know even our worst days are not so bad as the kinds of things others must contend with (I'm thinking sickness, poverty, abuse, and the like; you know, real problems).

J got home, later than I expected, and I promptly retreated to our room with intentions of merely "cooling off" and rejoining the party in a few minutes.  Um...oops, I fell asleep.  What the..?!  I mean, I have enough trouble falling asleep at night, how could that happen?!  At any rate, Papa handled supper, Bugga, the pets, bath and bedtime with grace and ease. =)  So proud of that man!  Even if it did make me feel all the more guilty for being cranky and tired in the first place.

In honor of my bad day...well, that seems strange, but I'm going with it...I am sharing some pics I took of J and Bugga a while back.  These two are so alike and have so much fun together, it is really a pleasure every day to watch these two crazy beings interact. ;)  Even when I want to retreat from the craziness for just a moment or so (or 2 hours worth, as was the case last night).

There you have it, my version of lemonade out of lemons for this Friday. =) Have a great weekend everybody!

Something tells me...

...this just isn't right.*

I guess this is what happens when a little one can reach your decorations. ;)

And I suppose it would also be why a good 75% of our decorations are still sitting in storage in the guest room. I just have nowhere to put them that might be reasonable safe from the Bug. =)

I guess I could just trick out the guest room...

*That's a "days til Christmas" decoration, in case that wasn't clear.

A Dessert to be Thankful for...

Okay, so I owe the world...ahem, all 3, maybe 4 of my readers a true Thanksgiving Thankfulness post, but it just isn't coming to me.  That is not to say I am not thankful.  Heck, maybe I can be thankful for double negatives. ;)  

At any rate, no outstanding way to say how thankful I am for all the tremendous blessings in my life is coming to mind at the moment, so...instead I am sharing this yummy recipe.

Carmelized Upside-Down Pear Tart

This has become a holiday staple in our house.  It is so sinfully delicious, yet with a very short ingredient list and the star of the show is definitely the pears.  So there, you can feel half-way healthy enjoying a wonderful slice of this treat.  That is, if you can find it under the mound of homemade whipped cream.  Oh wait, that might just be me. ;)

I know this is wrong, but I have to start with the picture that blatantly reminds us that it is still a dessert and inherently...how do I put this...not health food?!  Yeah, that works.

Ahhh, but then you add the pears baby.  Mmmmmm.  Never mind the sugar that went in the pan first.  Just don't think about it, put it right out of your mind, no need to worry about it. Pretty, right?

If you're feeling adventurous, or rather, organized--haha--you use their pastry recipe and make yourself this easy and tasty dough.  Once the butter and sugar carmelize--I know, I said don't worry about the sugar, but I had to mention it to talk about the carmel, sorry--you place your lovingly rolled dough (or lovingly unpackaged dough if that is your chosen route) over the pears and tuck it in nicely, like your babe to bed. ;)  

Pop all that goodness in the oven and once the pastry is beautifully browned, take it out, let it sit a bit and then invert it onto a nice serving plate.  Preferably with a rim because there might be some carmel-y goodness seeping here or there.  

There you have it.  It is soooo good and it presents nicely too, if you ask me.  Even hubby who claims a deep-running hatred for cooked fruit desserts will gobble this tart right up. =)  

Oh, and Bugga-approved too.  Okay, that's not a stretch, nearly all food is Bugga-approved. ;)

Just some musings...

Is it a sign that the cats' diet has gone too far when the tiny one keeps trying to eat my fig bars?

And is it a sign that our laptop is, in fact and as suspected, officially going down the crapper when a muriad of internet windows open without our approval and my desktop shortcuts fade in and out like some bad movie effect?

And might it be a sign that I am a little too holiday-ready that I put eggnog in my tea today? (Sans the alcohol, in case anyone was wondering.)

And finally, it is a sign that I spend too much time on the internet (even with our computer sick as it is) that my first stop for sharing these delightful pre-Thanksgiving musings was to blog them?

Ahhh...affirmative on all counts I fear. ;)

At any rate, I will someday return with photos and other nonsensical (nonsensible? Hmm, too lazy to figure out which is correct at this point) ramblings in the possibly near future. Vague enough for you? I thought so.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to ALL!!! =)

Brrrr...and Bugga-blog-love as promised

Pop quiz time, for my faithful bloggie pals.

I'm blogging, so Bugga must be...

a) hanging upside down from a ceiling fan
2) napping
iii) making me a snack
e) out with his friends

Ahhh...if you guessed 2, you are correct!!! *ding* *ding* *ding*

And what do you win??!! Why pictures of said napping beauty. ;) Aren't you glad you tuned in today. =)

Wearing Papa's slippers. Tummy hanging out, makin' a Momma proud.

Close up view, lovin' me some baby toes. Toddler toes. Whatever.

Just chillin' in his book box, which he emptied in a surprisingly organized fashion that day (hmmm, maybe he is my son afterall, despite the running and chocolate hating...).

So while I'm going about my business, I sometimes think about what I want to blog, what I want to say. It often includes all the fun things I was to report that Bug is doing these days, yet somehow when I sit down to actually write it, my mind draws a horrible blank. I think I'm going to have to go old school and start jotting down notes. Maybe it is becuase he is typically napping when I am blogging and my mind is taking a Bugga-break and refuses to conjure up all the fury and fun of him. But that doesn't make sense because I'm putting pictures of him up....Hmmm, whatever it is, I will try to remedy it and come up with more than just pictures some time in the near future. ;)

I will leave you today with a view of Oscar, our personal weatherguy.

See him there, all bundled up, bracing for the cold. Oscar is our pal, in summer he looks like he's at a beach. Right now, he looks like he's headed for the north pole. Bummer, but we knew it was coming. Heck, I must be a true Minnesotan now (draw out that "O" when you say that, if you want to pretend for a moment that you are too, only without the freezing temps), because low 30s doesn't feel so bad anymore. You'll probably see Oscar again when he is frowning down at the -5 below him and trying to build a fire to keep himself warm. ;)

Off to enjoy what is left of sleepytime and try to keep myself from falling asleep too. Because I know that the moment I do, he'll just wake up. =)

Hi, I'm Bailey.

Meet Bailey. =) Our newest foster. An adult female. Yes, you read me right, I said female.

Those of you who know me and have listened patiently--or better yet asked questions!--as I go on and on about pit bulls know that generally speaking, for successful housemate matches, the safer bet is opposite sex pairings. So why would we bring an adult female into our house, you may ask?

Well, for one, we're not looking to make a successful housemate match. ;) We're looking to give a down-and-out dog a place to chill and enjoy life while they wait for their next (and hopefully last) family to find him or her. In this case, it just happened to be a her in need of our services. =)

Now, being the beautiful she that she is, we haven't introduced the girls to each other yet. I say yet because we fully intend to be able to introduce them at some time in the future, once Bailey is more settled. So far, they have seen each other through the baby gate and crate doors and all body language was positive, thank goodness!

Bailey is an owner surrender, she was actually adopted out from A Rotta Love Plus as a pup. Two years in, she is coming back into the program due to some rather bogus reasons on the family's part, to be quite honest. Their reasoning doesn't jive with the lady we're getting to know here in our house, that much I can tell you. To their credit, it appears they did do some solid obedience work with her and she loves to play (have you ever met a dog that didn't know how to play?! It is heart-breaking!).

To their discredit, her first day or so here, she was covered in a cloak of fear that caused a good amount of worry. Pit bulls are typically confident, people-loving pooches; to see one exhibit fear toward a human is an unsettling experience for sure, knowing how atypical it is of the breed. Of course, there is no way to know for sure what her life was like and if her former owners instilled that fear or if it is just the drastic changes in her life that made her wary (we were her third stop in four days since leaving her former family).

Still, watching that cloak dissolve and a happy-g0-lucky girl emerge has been one of the more rewarding foster experiences we've had in our short time as fosters (it was just 6 months ago that we took in our first foster, Pumba!). And lucky for all of us, it hasn't taken long for her to begin to leave her fears behind. =) She just came to us Wednesday morning and is already showing very steady improvement in that area.

Our former fosters were all pretty much in and out of our door within about a month, some much less, some a tad longer. Sadly, I won't hold out hope that the same will be true for Miss Bailey. Two things are stacked against her: she is all brindle (with dark "smudges" on her back, very unique) and she is an adult. =( For some reason, the all-brindle dogs tend to wait longer, just like black dogs tend to wait longer (black dog syndrome, ever heard of it?).

I want to take a moment to encourage any and everyone out there to consider an adult dog the next time you're looking to add a furry family member. Some worry--unnecessarily I might add!--that one would be taking a greater risk with an adult dog, that an unknown history and lineage is just too scary to consider. This is so untrue! An adult dog, appropriately temperament tested for stability, is less work than a pup and their temperament is already set, meaning that generally, what you see if what you get. The BAD RAP "monster myths" section discusses this well, if anyone cares to check it out.

Okay, I've gone on about dogs long enough I suppose. ;) Suffice to say, we're lovin' our new Bailey sweet and getting to know her has been a total treat so far. Hopefully a family will see all the benefits of an adult dog and all the sweetness she has to offer. Yes, pups are cute and fun, but if you don't want a dog, don't get a puppy. =) Might as well skip all that work and get to the good stuff if you ask me! HAHA.

I'll be back with some Bugga-blog-love soon, I promise! He has been melting hearts and taking names around here lately. When he's not making us roll with laughter, that is. ;)

And to all you non-doggie-lovers and non-pittie-enthusiasts, thanks for hangin' in. =)

Just trying something...

Me, that is. Not the Bug, though it does look like maybe he's trying to wash my dishes here...if only there were dishes in sight and in reach. ;) My big blue gloves are a step in the right direction though, wouldn't you say?!

No, I am trying something new. I want bigger pictures, and a snazzy layout and some other fun stuff that I can do in my head, but evidently not with my computer. ={ Bummer, I really need some crazy tech-genius friend to come and save me from the thoughts in my head these days. Oh well. Lacking such a pal, I will go it alone and probably drag my feet and stumble a bit.

So if the blog seems wonky or missing all together--just a worst-case scenario, right?!--fret not. ;)

What else is going on, you ask? Because there must be something else, right?! Hehe. Well...let's see. Moanie-Bones is enjoying the good life, still on a trial visit though I'm pretty sure he's there to say (they've renamed him Hammer to boot, but I am sticking with Moanie for me and my memories). Paisley is enjoying the super-lazy life of an only dog for the time being. Bugga is just...well, Bug...more and more of everything every single day. If that means anything! =) Talking more, testing more, reaching more, running more, knowing more, doing more, MORE, MORE, MORE. It's crazy and fun and frustrating and trying and heart-warming all at once, or at least all in each day. ;)

I have to share this little funny because it was one of those moments where I about fell off my chair laughing because it was oh-so-J, but through the lens of the Bug. We were reading his nighttime books in his chair in his room last night and we got to this line in the book No Matter What:

"With time together, a smile and a kiss, love can be mended with things like this."

I stop, I say to Bug, "can you show me your smile?"

He leans in to the book and smiles a goofy-man grin, completely over-exaggerated and silly.

"And what about a kiss?" I say.

He turns around to give me a kiss and lets out a huge, noisy toot just as we smooch.

Lovely. Anyone who knows my sweet hubby knows just what I mean here. ;) I proceeded to laugh and hug him and laugh some more and he did a classic toddler fake-sounding laugh because Momma was laughing and it made the moment all the more funny to me.

I can't think of a better way to end the day with my boy than laughing before bedtime.

Well, it's snowing. And coffee is calling to me while Grady is refusing to nap, so I'm sure there's something else I should be doing other than blogging. ;)

Thanks to Leah, my one and only menu-helper from last week. She has inspired us to add lentils to our diet and we will do just that this week, we can't wait! 10,000 points for her! =)

Back to the real world not found in the depths of my computer screen--woa, such a thing exists?! ;) (Seriously, some days I need a reminder.) Later gators!

Help!

Okay people, I'm feeling horribly uninspired in the meal-planning department and today is the day I am supposed to plan and make my menu for the coming week so I can go shopping with the Bugga tomorrow. How's that for a run-on sentence. Anyway...

So, bring it on! Got a family favorite you'd like to share? A meal that always hits the spot? I'd love to hear it and TRY it. ;)

Bonus points or anyone that can incorporate beans. Yes, I'm keeping score on all of you...tsk, tsk, some of you are wayyyy behind, so it's time to step up.

HAHAHA, just kidding of course. =)

Tomato stack from this summer; sorry no pics of yummy fall food. I'd love to change that though..

Love beans, not big on meat, but like fish. Breakfast counts for any meal of the day. Desserts are yummy too, though trying to be a responsible parent I have relegated them to add-on status. ;)

Got a recipe that makes you feel all warm and toasty? Perfect, I heard snow is in the forecast! ={

Okay folks, get to it...INSPIRE me. =)

The nothing-new update

This little face charms me every day. It is getting increasingly hard to capture with a camera though, as he loves to run (hmmm...again calling into question his true identity...he doesn't like chocolate and he loves to run, huh???!!!).

Ignore the wacky hair. Both of ours, though his is cuter. ;)

He loves this book Tippintown. He particularly enjoys pointing out the dog on every page. He knows this book, I merely mentioned it this morning to J and he heard me and went running for the crate of books, searching for this current favorite. Yes, he found it. I couldn't be more proud; it is always the small things that amaze me. =)

So, in revisiting an old idea, back to the nothing-new referendum of '09. ;p HAHAHA. Before embarking on something so ambitious as a full year of no new purchases--save of course food, personal care items, medicine, and the like--we decided to just do a trial month. This is defined by credit card period...in case anyone was questioning our place in this consumer-driven society. ={ Ugh. Anyway, that point withstanding, we are tweaking and honing the idea to make it our own. You know, creating loopholes for possible splurges. ;) One loophole goes like this: every dollar less than x that we spend in a month goes into our "wishlist" account, as the wishlist fund grows, we can decide if and when to spend that money on an otherwise disallowed new item. Make sense? No, I'm not sharing what amount x might be, but it is both appropriately challenging and entirely possible at the same time. ;) Makes for a fun little game, don't you think?!

Of course, for this month (roughly October 20th-November 20th) we don't have time for games. It is crunchtime people, nothing new. But wait, the laptop is circling the electronic drain...hmmm....enter new CD/DVD drive. =( Grr...the laptop won't recognize it...woohoo...return it and pretend we didn't slip so quickly. Problem solved, right?! If I wasn't so dependent on the laptop, it might just be. If.

Anyway, we have already begun finding solutions to other issues of want that have cropped up:

* An old military wool blanket strategically placed between our flat sheet and down comforter (in lieu of a new wool comforter. Oh just typing it felt cozy, darn it! Okay, NO, I'm fine without it *repeat as needed*)
* A ripped up old sheet to function as curtains in the Bug's room since the sun blesses us so cruelly early now (in lieu of fancy shades I've been eyeing for about $50 a pop).

Now if only I could rig me up a functioning laptop out of crap laying around my house. ;)

And once again, I wasted a rare and coveted Bugga naptime on blogging. Hmmm. At least I wasn't shopping.

Oh my!

I am just cuddling on the couch with my Pai girl and enjoying election coverage. This is just beyond exciting...and I am not one that finds politics interesting usually. How can you not be excited this year though?! =) Wow!

Check out my funny face...

J took this and yes, it's a little on the wonky side as far as representations of the Bug go. ;) Makes me giggle though, how about you???

In other news, Timoni-Moanie is enjoying his trial visit thoroughly, playing with his potential new sis Pinkerton (who has very similar coloring to Pai, only about 20 lbs heavier!) and charming people everywhere he goes. Is it any surprise?! =) They are taking it nice and slow, being extremely thoughtful and honestly, you just can't ask for better adopters than that. It leaves us hanging a bit, but I think I can call this one...hehe...I think Moanie has found his family. ;)

So we're down to one pittie for the time being...isn't that a pity?! ;) HAHAHA. I'm sure there's a dog in need waiting in the wings somewhere. =) In the meantime, Paisley is enjoying her status as the only dog again for a little while, and we certainly don't begrudge her that.

A shout outtonight...HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY to our friend Justin! We thought of you on your day, and evidently that is as far as we made it. ;)

Today was a good day and seeing my toddler with an "I voted" sticker on will stick in my mind for some time, as well as the vision of Bugga in J's arms in the voting booth. And I can't forget the nervousness on the face of the election worker as the Bug booked it for the ballot-counting machine. ;) Ahhh, the fear. Welcome to my world mister. ;) I relied on hope that my parental voice would stop his potentially destructive motion. Hope versus fear. Which do you think won out? (Well you didn't hear any reports of toddler-ized vote-counting machines, did you?!) It was a great voting experience. =)

Back to the big news...g'night all!

By the way, I hear the president elect might be looking for a dog...I think I have some ideas. ;)

Spoooky...

You know what I find spooky? People driving their vehicles while wearing masks.

Actually, I find it creepy and slightly unsafe.

So what scares you this Halloween?! ;)

Tonight

We had some BEAUTIFUL weather today and happened to be out catching the last of the light tonight. Oh my gosh, it was just so pretty!

Check out Moanie-Bonies! He is living up to the second part of that nickname, looking so thin. He was skinny when he came to us just over 2 weeks ago, but then a couple days ago he got quite sick. Complete loss of appetite, diarrhea, and he vomited too. All he could do Monday morning was lay on one of the dog beds, no interest in anything. I was so scared! I was afraid he had parvo and if so, we would have almost certainly lose him, largely because the rescue doesn't have the funds to go through treatment, especially since it doesn't always work.

Anyway, after a morning and afternoon of me pretty much crying every time I looked at the little guy, he came alive and romped with Paisley in the yard and I knew Moanie was going to be okay. ;) So, turns out, I think the little guy got stopped up by high grass and stick consumption. YUM, huh?! He's obviously on the mend, but still oh so skinny.

Isn't he a gorgeous little boy though? =)

Oh and here you can see some of our new paver patio! We love it, though I can't say I'm loving the dirt that is the lawn now all around it. Oh well, grass will grow eventually. ;)

Love playing in the dirt Momma!

Even Turdie joined in the fun, from safe inside his perch on the lounger. Don't feel bad for him, this big boy wouldn't have wanted to be outside if we coated in all in cat food. He gets completely freaked by the outdoors.

Speaking of big boy and food, he is officially on a diet. Though since we don't own a scale, I'm not sure how I'll know for certain it is working. Based on his harassment of all of us, I'm pretty sure it's making at least some impact. ;)

My stunning Pai-Pai girl.

Joined by foster-bro extraordinaire. =)

I would have loved to get some shots of Bugga and the dogs, but I had the 50mm on the camera and they were all on the move so much, I rarely could get them all in the same frame. Such is life with kid(s) and dogs. ;)

Not much to say tonight I guess, but I will forewarn that I may go missing from blogland again because our computer is so sick now, it really needs to go to the tech doctor. ={ Poor thing. So many things aren't working and it is just acting funky, so...it's time. Wish us luck!

Moanie-Moanie

So yesterday was Pit Bull Awareness Day and since I took Bugga and our newest foster dog to a little pittie potluck, I didn't get the blog up introducing the newest member of the gang around here.

Can you believe I've kept this cutie under wraps for almost 2 weeks?!

Introducing....Timon!!!

(No, Timon didn't actually write his bio on the ARLP site. I know it's silly, and I promise I try not to be too anthropomorphic, but we gotta pour all the sugar we can into getting these little cuties into their potential new homes, right?! Yes, I linked "anthropomorphic" in case anyone thought I was making crap up there. Haha.)

Seriously, could he be much cuter?!

Yes, he immediately brings to mind our very first foster boy, Pumba. And much like Pumba, he is a total sweetheart, very snuggly, and Paisley even approves. =)

Don't they make a handsome pair???

Many a nickname for this boy already, as always. Timoni-zamboni, Timoni-spimoni, Timoni-Moanie. Most of the time, he's must "Moanie" around here. He has such a wiggle body--forget wiggle butt--his whole body wiggles in utter joy and will only begin to ease if he can lean up against you while you scratch his neck. And that's when you'll get the "moans" out of Mr. Timoni.

Timon already had a meet-and-greet yesterday, so we'll see if that goes anywhere. Early on, I was quite nearly ready to say "okay, we're done, you're home little buddy." ;) I'm not sure what it was, he was just melting my heart so fast. I think I've shored up my resolve again though and when the right family comes along, I'll be able to hand him over. I think. I hope. =)

In the meantime, I'll enjoy our nightly snuggles on the downstairs couch (i.e. the dog couch, hehe) after Bugga goes to bed. He's already mastered most of the house rules, so he's been easy to bring into the fold. We were due an easy one, nothing against sweet Libs and the Mischief man, but they were definitely more work than Moanie. ;)

Speaking of bed...okay, that was a stretch, but I do think it is calling to me. G'night all! =)

Oh and bonus points to anyone who can guess what Timon's theme song is... ;)

Part Tres: "No fee for looking"

Finally, whew! On to wonderful Mexico we go!

So there was a beautiful wedding (see Part Dos and Part Dos, Subsection B) and then way too early the next morning, we sadly bid adieu--or should I say adios--to Kelvin and Danelle and the kiddos (actually, I think the kiddos were in bed; I know, details, details) and Memaw, Papaw, Chris, Nichole, Kaylee, J, Bug, and I headed to the airport and flew to Puerto Vallarta. =)

By the time we finally waded through customs--complete with one member of our party (I'm leaving names out to protect the innocent) yelling to the customs officials inspecting his/her luggage that a certain brown powdery substance was so he/she "could poop" (hey, don't ask if you don't want the answer, right?!)--then waded through all the people trying to sell us tours and found our way to the people that were supposed to be taking us to the resort...

Hmm, I forget where I was going here. Oh yeah, by the time we actually got to the resort, I was so wiped out. ;) We got to our rooms, got our luggage, met up for supper and then hit the beach to find the most gorgeous sunset! Sadly, I was so wiped we didn't even go back to the room to get our camera. Huge bummer, because it turned out that first night was probably the best sunset we saw the whole trip. =(

Okay, on to the pictures. I just love the unintended censorship here. ;)

Yes, there was a nekkie toddler on our balcony. Hey, that's nothing, the night the resort lost power between the time that I--ahem, I mean someone--got all sandy down on the beach and returned to the room, there was a nekkie 20-something out on our balcony. ;)

Don't worry, there was a towel and it was dark. When your choices are 1) sand in various, eh, places or 2) naked on the balcony...well, let's just say you might surprise yourself. That's how someone explained it to me anyway, I mean I wouldn't know or anything...

At the pool...click for up close of the Hobbie tongue. =)

Bug in his ring, Kaylee in hers. Really, they were interchangeable. Such good share-ers, those 2. ;)

One day at the pool, this group of Mexican children were completely fascinated with Grady, it was so cute! They didn't speak English--like any--and I don't speak much Spanish, but they hung around and kept talking to me anyway, it was so sweet.

We were able to establish ages, the little girl's (you can't really see her in this picture) name was Rosa and the boys were her cousins. I realized a while after we were home that the one little boy was teaching me "boy" in Spanish, not telling me his name was Nino as I thought. ;) HAHAHA. The revelation came while waiting in line at Sears in the kids section, oh my!

Bugga took his naps every day we were there because boy did he need them! I joined him often enough too.


Papaw Jackson and Kaylee get hit by a wave. =)

The beach around sunset one night, looking toward Bucerias (north of Puerto Vallarta).

Beach snuggles. ;)

And some more...

This photo cracks me up. Look at Nichole and her Dad--the SAME posture as they stand in the water and await that wave. Life Father, like Daughter I guess! =)

Sunset and smooches, doesn't get much better than that.

One day, Danny, Chris, and J were all jumping into the ocean as the waves came in, it was pretty hilarious to watch! I'm sure I couldn't have gotten my feet off the ground if I tried.

"Whew, it's still there..." ;)

Danny went para-sailing (is that right?! I can't remember now if that's the right term) and this is his approach back down to earth.

Kaylee playing with her Grandma Laura's visor. Don't be alarmed by the highchairs, no one got sick. Okay wait...the little ones who sat in them didn't get sick. ;)


Same meal, one table over, Bugga played with Memaw's visor. =)

On the first day and the final day, some of us walked into Bucerias to check out the flea market and just get a feel for the place.

There were buildings going up or being rehabbed all over the place. Let me just say, I am no architect, but the things I saw didn't really inspire great confidence in me. Could just be my take, who knows?!

I don't have pictures from the actual market, but the line from the title of this post, "no fee for looking" came from one of the many lovely things the vendors call out to you to lure you into their little tent of wares. Very fun!

Trees on a truck. I don't know, just seemed picture-worthy. ;)

And evidently, interesting enough for me to end my post with it too. =)

It was such a great and memorable trip. We can't THANK YOU enough Chris and Nichole for inviting us along.

I'm serious people, December 2009...where are we going???!!! Someplace warm, I know, but we gotta narrow it down a little more than that, hehe. ;)

Tomorrow is Pit Bull Awareness Day. Betcha didn't know that huh?! In celebration, I will be preparing to finally unveil the new little sweetheart among us--TIMON! We picked him up not 48 hours after arriving safely home from our adventure. I know, barely enough time to breathe the "I'm home" sigh, but it's really been great having him. ;) Libby is doing well and her adoption will become final in the next couple of weeks, I'm so excited to see her again (I'll be going to the final paper signing).

Okay, off to enjoy my Bugga boy! I'm sure I'll be bringing more of him to the blog soon too. Just feels good to be (almost) caught up. =)