New Years Resolutions....

I guess everyone has their own thoughts on New Years Resolutions, I pretty much don't make any, well not the usual ones anyway. We live a pretty clean life, no smoking, drinking or partying so we don't have to make any of those.

Having worked all year, I look forward to the last week of the year because I save enough vacation days to take that week off. I like to take that week to regroup before the start of the New Year. I use the time to reflect on the previous year and look at where we've been and where we need to go.

Our News Years commitment this year is the same as always, we renew our vow to be the best humans we can be. We try to put others first and help others when we can. I have a favorite quote we try to live by, although at times it may be hard to do. That quote is "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

With every year that passes we realize just how fortunate we are, we have good jobs, a nice roof over our heads, a great son and two of the sweetest dogs anyone could ask for. We have been blessed beyond our wildest imaginations.


Although the New Year will require just as much hard work as the previous one we look forward to it and welcome it with open arms because we know that in order to achieve our goals we must work hard.

New Years Resolutions...."Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

She's Taking It Hard....

My little angel Prissy is taking this cold weather hard. We don't see her out of her bed very often these days, she goes out, does her business and right back to bed she goes. When it's really cold we have to wake her up and take her out because she just won't get up. Her age is playing a part as well, she is eating a lot less these days and if she isn't wearing her sweater she shivers all day, so good thing she doesn't mind wearing it. If she sleeps in her bed all day I go in frequently to check on her to make sure she is still breathing and the last couple of days I've moved her out to the couch so I can see her, she still likes to cuddle so we've been getting in lots of that.







Snugly Warm

Another Year Come and Gone...

Another Christmas has come and gone and with every year that passes we love our family even more.

Christmas Eve with my Grandmother and the rest of my family was, as usual, a great time. We absolutely loved seeing everyone there and it could not have been better. All the children playing and laughing just reminds us what it's all about.

Christmas day is spent with my mom's family and the love there is always visible.

As we get older, time with our family gets more valuable and appreciated. The gift of time is only ours for a little while and could be taken away tomorrow. We try to live our lives not just as though We only have today but as though we only have our loved ones for today as well, because we never know what tomorrow holds. Sitting in a room filled with your loved ones fills our hearts with a joy that is hard to put into words.

We look forward to the coming year and what it holds for us but we know our fate is in our own hands and plan to do what it takes to see yet another Year Come and Go.

Working Hard and Loving Harder is what it's all about. This Holiday Season was one of the best yet and we loved every minute of it...

It's hard to believe Another Year Has Come and Gone....


My handsome son and his beautiful girfriend

My Grandmother, My Aunt, and My Cousin, The Hosts of the party

What It's All About....

We are grateful for our lives all year but at this time of year we are reminded of just how good life is.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is always spent with our family and we look forward to seeing everyone we love. Good company and lots of laughs with some family love mixed in and nothing could be better.

We are fortunate enough to live good, blessed lives and we are truly grateful....

P.S.
It is great when the UPS truck drives up and you know it must be for you because your secret gift was delivered somewhere else!!! We Love Love Love Christmas!!!

Her Designer Duds....

She's a fashionista....

Prissy got a new sweater today and it looks great on her. She let me put it on her and then she immediately went to the carport door and waited as if to say "Ok, I'm ready to go". She does the same thing when you put her harness or leash on so that's probably what she thought it was.

She posed for a few pictures because she is a fashionista afterall....






I'm not turning around until he's gone....


If I have to take a picture with him this is all you're getting....

Don't fret Bo, as soon as we find one that fits you're getting a new coat too...

They might need boots too since it looks like winter has gotten here early, they dread having to go outside and we hate that they have to as well. I baby them and treat them like the angels they are and as long as we can afford it they'll never be without.

My Heart....Is My Family

We Had A Wonderful Thanksgiving....



Our son is our pride and joy. He is handsome, honest and hardworking and we couldn't have asked for better.





We love our time together. He loves his grandmother because she makes him laugh and he knows she won't be around forever.




The weather was beautiful and added to an already great day.





We are happiest when we are all together. The newest member of our family is my sons girlfriend Ariel. She is a beautiful girl and they make a good couple and are cute together.

The things I am thankful for can't be bought, I am thankful for my family, for our good health and our ability to see each other through thick and thin.

Living By This Has Gotten Us To Where We Are

"Without ambition, one starts nothing. Without work, one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it."


Ambition got us started and working hard is going to help us finish strong. We learned very early in life that Nothing was going to be given to Us, we had to not only win it but we we're going to have to earn it every step of the way.

Married as teenagers and parents not long after we've both been working hard ever since trying to stay ahead in the game of life. We've come a very long way and certainly deserve to enjoy the fruits of our labor....Our life is beautiful....

Sunday Visits With Granny Love

She is called Granny Love...

From the time Everett and I met, I can remember visiting his grandparents on Sunday. It isn't every Sunday but it is usually on a Sunday. Papa Love passed away 15 or so years ago and we miss him greatly.

For about the last 4 or 5 years we've watched his grandmother's health and physical condition deteriorate quiet a bit. That is hard to watch but what is harder to watch is the deterioration of her mental capacity. She hasn't gotten to the point of not recognizing us but she has gotten to the point of asking the same questions over and over again. We don't mind, we just keep answering them over and over again.

She is always very happy to see us when we visit and always seems more concerned with how everyone else is doing rather than being concerned for herself. I took the picture above when she was in the hospital a few weeks ago; she was posing and giving her best smile because I was sending that picture to Everett who was offshore at the time.

On today's visit we also got to visit with her sister Julia. When Julia visits on Sundays she brings lunch and lots of stories. She keeps Granny Love company and keeps both their minds going with lots of questions about people they used to know and old relatives. It's always about "Who was so and so married to?" or "How many kids did they have?" Julia also asks questions about my family because she remembers my father and his parents. On this visit she shared with me a story about my mother that someone had told her, a story that turns out to be false. I filled her in on the facts and we agreed that one should always consider the source when being told certain things.

Today's visit was hard for me. I love Granny Love as though she were my own grandmother. She has always welcomed me and never sat in judgment of me. She understood that when Everett and I were first married we were both teenagers and thus the decisions we made, good or bad, were made by children. Over the years she and I have had many talks and shared many things about our lives with one another. She has been an inspiration to me mostly because of her love and devotion to her family and her faith. Her favorite saying is "We do what we can" and that is all any of us can do. Ultimately we just do what we can live with because when it is all said and done you will have to live with any and all decisions you made.

I look forward to those Sunday visits....

My visit on this Sunday worried me more than usual; maybe it was the look in Granny Love’s eyes. It worried me so much that the next day I paid her another visit before going home after work just to make sure she was ok. She seemed a little better than the day before so maybe I was worried for nothing at her age it is hard to tell. Julia wasn’t there today but I do look forward to the next time we get to visit again.

Like I said I look forward to Sunday visits....

Don't Hate Me 'Cause I'm Beautiful....

Serious Cockertude....

She is in desperate need of a haircut!!! I'm getting new clippers to tackle this job.



Now you can see her face...





She's wondering when her photo session will end...



He just had to get in the picture...He sat face to face with me until he got some attention...

How Did Life Get So Good...

Sleeping on Granny's sofa....
They don't come any sweeter than this baby. I call her my baby but she is 12 1/2 years old. Cocker Spaniels can live up to 14 or 15 years so she is up there and considering some of her problems I feel very fortunate to have her still here. I don't look forward to the day she isn't any longer. The words I Love Her just don't seem like enough to explain what we feel for her.

She's dreaming that she fell off her bed...Oh wait she isn't dreaming....


Class wore him out that day...The center console makes a fine pillow when you're this tired.
This little boy has totally stolen our hearts. I believe that all he has missing to be human is the ability to speak. He doesn't use words but believe me he is very vocal and will let you know exactly what he wants or needs. He has the biggest most expressive eyes that make you just fall in love with him. When Everett was looking for another dog we already had Rock and Prissy and I really wasn't interested in having a 3rd dog but I can't imagine life without him.

These babies have it made, they could not be more loved and cared for any other place. Everett and I have lost a lot of loved ones in our lives but we don't dwell on what we've lost, instead we choose to embrace what we have and those that we are fortunate enough to still have with us.

This weekend was the Omelet Festival so we had a girls weekend, except for Bo. My mom spent the weekend with me and we spent Saturday at the festival. The weather was beautiful and the day couldn't have been more perfect.

Again, How Did Life Get So Good....
I guess with a lot of hard work and a lot of love.....

Awesome Weather....

The cooler weather makes us look forward to the Holidays and we certainly enjoy being outdoors so much more when it is cool out. Bo loves nothing more than going onto the front porch and watching people come and go in the neighborhood. He would sit out there all day if he could.

Today was a great day, I spent it with my mother. We had a great visit, we had lunch and did some shopping, window shopping mostly. Our shopping trips aren't about the shopping as much as they are about the time we spend together. Life is passing by so fast that every minute spent together is so important. Everett and I are coming to the realization that his grandmother may be nearing the end of her journey and watching her makes me think of my mother and when I will go through that with her. She and I have talked about it and discussed her longterm care when the time comes that she will need someone to care for her, we have come to the understanding that she will not be alone and will certainly not be put into a nursing home as long as I am capable of taking care of her.

The Holiday season makes me think of my family and those that I love the most and having only one parent makes her one of the most important people in my life. We deal with whatever life throws at her together.

Our lives are so full and we are so blessed and we give thanks every day....

Two of My Favorites...

He loves his Granny. Everett and I took a vacation this year, something we don't usually do for various reasons. One being that we won't put the dogs in a boarding kennel while we are gone. We worry about the ones we love while we are gone and we mostly worry about our parents because none of them are in the best of health these days. But considering everything we have been through the last few years and that we both work so much the stress was building and we decided to go for it. Everyone seemed to be feeling ok and there was no better time than the present and we certainly deserved it. My mom house/dog sat while we were gone because she really is the only one we trust to keep them and we can relax a little more knowing she is taking care of them. She didn't use to be a dog lover but she has grown to love them and they definitely love her, so it's a good match. She doesn't get to go out dancing anymore, which she loves to do, so Bo has taken the role of her dance partner and they follow each other beautifully, don't you think? He follows her around the entire time she is there and after she leaves he spends quiet awhile looking for her. Prissy loves her just as much but she is not as active as Bo and as long as you pet her and hug her once in awhile she is happy, she is much more independent than Bo is. If anything ever happens to either of them I will be so lost because they are definitely Two of My Favorites...

We're not braggin, We're just sayin!!

Nothing like a cool refreshing popsicle on a hot summer day!! We don't like to brag but our life is great!! And that's not only from our beautiful dogs viewpoint but ours as well. Health, Happiness and all the love a person can stand what more do you need.

King of the Castle....

Guarding his Castle!! That is what he does best. Bo is a 4 1/2 year old intact Male Boxer and he holds true to the Boxer nature. Very playful, very smart and very loyal and protective. A few months ago I decided to put him in obedience classes because I thought he would enjoy it. And mostly because I felt bad that he has never really gotten to play with other dogs, although we have always had other dogs in the home they are not his size and he doesn't seem to know his own strength not to mention the age differnce between them.

I was confident that he would do well as far as learning the commands because he already knew Sit and Down and it really didn't take me long to teach him that, however, I was not as confident that he would get along with the other dogs. Bo proved me WRONG, he loved the other dogs he turned out to be very submissive even with the ones that didn't like him, he got growled at and snapped at and still wanted to play with them. We never heard one growl from him ever, he was so excited and after the first time there he knew exactly where he was going when his harness came out. I should have done this a long time ago.

Out of all the dogs in his class he really loved Charlie. They were the odd couple in class for sure because Charlie is a Miniature Dachsund of all things. He had a hard time paying attention if Charlie wasn't in his sights.



His training will be an ongoing process but it is fun to watch him learn and he loves the attention he gets while training. We couldn't ask for better.

He lived life and never looked back, nothing stood in his way

Nearly a year has gone by since we lost our dear fun loving Colby. Everyday I pass his home and think of him and how strange it is without him here. We all learned a lot because of Colby, we watched him struggle through life and complain very little, if at all. The cross he carried would have crushed a weaker person, he was looked up to by so many and loved by even more.

Our Little Prissy....

Jr's Little Miss Prissy, otherwise known as Prissy. She is the boss of our home, we all cater to her and she is my spoiled one. In the beginning it was just she and my precious Rock, we intended to try for puppies but Prissy never seemed interested and since Rock was inexperienced and couldn't seem to figure out how to persuade her we never did have puppies.

At about the age of 4 or 5 I noticed that something wasn't right with Prissy, she would always get up on your lap whenever she could so that wasn't out of the ordinary but she started getting as close to me as she could and she would put her face right up next to mine as if to get a good look at me. So one day I sat her up and looked directly into her eyes and that's when I saw what looked like a cataract so off to the vet we went. He referred us to the doggy eye doctor in New Orleans, which was at that time the only one in our state. After finding our way there we met with the Vet and she got examined and sure enough it was a significant cataract in the one eye and a small one in the other and she seemed to be almost totally blind in one eye. He recommended we have her tested for diabetes since she was so young so we did and she tested negative so her eye problems weren't brought on by that. We made a few trips back and forth to New Orleans with her to get check ups and seemed like no time at all had gone by before the other eye was blind as well. We considered sugery but the vet said that even with the lens replacement she would not see more than shadows and lights and she had such bad glaucoma that eventually she wouldn't even see that, so we opted not to have the surgery.

Prissy turned 12 years old in April 2009, the age at which Rock went to the bridge, and her kidneys are slowly but surely getting bad but other than that she is fine. We fight her eye infections and her dry eye condition and we give her all the love she can handle. Bo loves her so much that I'm afraid that when she passes he will grieve as much as we will.