Very Sad Day

Today was a very hard day for the 5 of us. We had to take Maddie to the Humane Society. This is why.......Almost exactly 1 month ago we picked up "Maddie" our puppy. Two weeks later we found a wonderful trainer for her. The more training we gave her the more aggressive she was getting. It turned out that we picked out a dog with some serious genetic mental issues. Our trainer worried that she may turn on the kids one day. That was my worry too and the reason why I looked for a trainer in the first place. Even though we had some issues with her we loved having her in our lives and will be looking for another dog within the next couple of years. I definately recommend a dog to anyone, but if you have small children don't get a puppy. It will be alot easier to start out with a dog that is a little older, 1-2 yrs old. Oh! and CRATE TRAIN! Crate training made a world of a difference for us.

New Addition to our Family

We are proud to introduce a new member of our family....."MADDIE Apples" . "Apples" is her middle name. The girls wanted her to have a middle name, but we call her "Maddie" mainly. She is a 3 month old Labrador Retriever mix. Her father is a Lab and her mother is a Lab/Rat Terrier mix. We all are loving her in our lives. I have had to get used to taking care of another "child" again :) We have started crate training her and that has made life a whole lot easier. We are enjoying the experience because all of us are experiencing owning a dog for the first time. I never had one growing up and Paul has a vague recollection of the one his family had when he was a toddler. She will end up being between 40-50lbs and look like a small lab. She is one of the main reasons why for the past month I have been disconnected from the world of blogging. I am sad to say that I was almost ready to post all about our Christmas break and I didn't finish. So the Christmas post will follow this one.

Our Great Nation

During this election year I have come to realize how many of us are not involved or only a little involved in one of the great freedoms we have in this country. The freedom I am talking about is our right to vote and have that vote count and our right to publicly or privately support those we would like to see in office. Over the years I have learned what a great privalege it is and how we need to educate ourselves on the issues and the candidates. I have also learned that educating ourselves means to go to the source itself. I put no importance on what the biased media says. They have their own agenda. If you want to learn about someone or something you go straight to the source. Sometimes it can take alot of research on your own part but it is well worth it. I believe there are many out there who do not care a thing about politics, but we need to care. This is our nation. It is a wonderful, wonderful place. I plead to those of you who are not involved or informed in regards to anything political to get informed. Don't just go on who your parents, teachers, friends, neighbors are voting for, but make your own educated decision and vote for someone who holds true to all the things you hold dear. GET INVOLVED! Teach your children the importance of it and the great FREEDOM and PRIVALEGE we have and they have. Please don't take it for granted. I do warn you though :) . For some of us it can be quite addictive. I have become a political junkie for all the right reasons. I believe this country was founded on greatness and by inspired men and I will contnue to vote to keep it that way! I hope you will continue to do the same. If you haven't yet, it isn't too late. Thank you for listening. I will be hopping off my soap box now......
-Excited for Super Tuesday

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Birthdays, Halloween and a New Pair of Shoes

Well, I figured I would recap on some of the big events from the past couple of months. Hope you enjoy!

I realized that I never did a post for Tison's 1st birthday from September. Time is flying by too quickly. Below are a few pics from his birthdays......we celebrated here and then up in Gainesville. I can't believe he is one. Maybe I never posted because I was in denial :)

We stripped him down to his diaper to eat his birthday cake. It makes for an easier clean-up.

Then the birthdays that follow Tison's are Paul's and mine in October. Paul and I usually celebrate our birthdays together since they are only a couple of days apart. It was my 30th and Paul's 31st. What fun we had! We went out for a nice dinner at Del Frisco's (for those of you that know how much I enjoy food-I was in heaven-mmmmmmm) and then after dinner we went to our friends Brenda and Joe's home for a surprise birthday party for me that my very thoughtful husband planned. He had a spread of wonderful food (that I could not touch because I was soooooo full from our YUMMY dinner) a beautiful birthday cake, and a room full of dear friends and family that we have made here. And to top it all off he planned all of this on his birthday. He is one of the most unselfish people I know. I felt so much love that night. Thank you Paul for a wonderful evening!

Then on my Real birthday my girls made me a very YUMMY breakfast. I have to be one of the luckiest people around. I love my kids!

I just had to stick this picture in because it looks like Tison is playing a saxaphone.

A few days after our birthdays comes Michelle's and she turned 4. She wanted a My Little Pony cake. You will have to excuse my poor decorating job. :)

The weather is so nice now so the children love to spend their time on the back porch doing all sorts of projects.
FALL PAINTING! (Below)
MASTERPIECES!

Michelle, Nicole, and Tiffany(a little girl I take care of everyday!)

Paul and I had a nice weekend a couple of weeks ago. We were supposed to go on Wednesday October 24th-Sunday the 28th to Paul's bosses cabin in North Carolina with a group of couples from work. We were looking sooooo forward to it since in the last 7 1/2 years we have not really gone away for a few days without little ones in tow. Well that Monday Michelle came down with a serious case of strep and we were unable to go with everyone. When she seemed to be doing much better. We took the kids to G'ville for a Friday and Saturday night stay at Mima and Papa's and a fun filled weekend with their cousins Joseph and Millie and we headed to Disney Friday night.....alone. It was soooooo FUN and much needed after being to and from the Pediatricians office and Hospital the whole week. Thank you Mima, Papa, UNCLE CHRIS, Uncle Joe, and Aunt Lacy. The pic below was taken on "Thunder Mountain".
Below are pics of the kids from halloween. Tison was a pirate. I had so much fun making his costume and Elmer's gluing fake hair to his chin.

Michelle was a 50's girl and Nicole was Barbie. We had a pot luck and went Trick or Treating at my Aunt Gail's house which has become a tradition every year since we moved here!
On November 2nd Tison got his 1st pair of shoes. It took him a little while to get used to them, but he is doing well walking in them.

Face Painting and Pool Fun at KK's Birthday!

Weekly Occurence

Most every week Paul is out there working hard mowing our lawn after work. I used to mow the yard before I had Tison ( I love to do it!), but for some reason I have gotten used to Paul doing it. I go through phases. So I may be out there mowing again one day. While Paul is outside the girls are usually out there playing as well. Tison loves to watch them from the sliding glass door. These pics were taken back in August when Tison was still crawling (NOW HE'S WALKING-YEAH!)

GOOD LOOKIN' #1!

GOOD LOOKIN' #2

I thought this was too precious! (Tison and Nicole)

Nicole was trying to make him laugh and he was!!