Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!

Dolce's 1st Christmas

Are you guys sick of seeing pictures of my dogs yet?? :-)








Mommy's big helper! Helping me wrap presents (sorry if you have dog treat bits in your boxes when you get them! :D)

Hubie

Hubie is our 4 year old Newfoundland and he's been sick going on 4 months. Constant coughing, hacking/vomiting and congestion. I thought it was just a very persistent case of kennel cough. We've run several tests and had him on multiple rounds of medication with no relief whatsoever and finally the vet mentioned taking him to a cardiologist.

So after some research, one of my coworkers/friends helped me discover that Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a common hereditary heart disease in this breed. It's basically congestive heart failure. His heart is weak and enlarged and he's retaining fluid causing those symptoms above.

This isn't a solid diagnosis. We have to take him to Boise to see a cardiologist for extensive testing in order to diagnose him so that he can be treated. But all the symptoms fit and now it all makes sense.

Isn't this insane???? Just when I thought things couldn't get any crazier.

I'm feeling pretty emotional about it because he's still healthy enough right now to live a normal life. He still plays and eats well and is still the all too loveable Hubie. So I don't feel right at all about the idea of putting him down (as a few have suggested) but can you imagine the cost of all this testing and then medication for his lifetime? He's a HUGE dog. That's a lot more medication than an average sized dog. And a lot more money.

I was telling FIL about it last night and he said "hey, that's what I have." and I was like I know. Seriously? What are the odds.

My Puppy-Cat

HA! Dolce thinks he's a cat! I was putting up the Christmas tree and couldn't find my camera to capture this funny moment, so I had to use my phone :-)



All taken with my phone since my camera was mia. Better pictures to come soon.



Helping me Trim the Tree! :)



Things have been so insane lately, I just haven't had time for any updates.
So maybe later :)

BOOMER SOONERS!!!!!!!

HERE WE COME!!!! Wooooooooooohooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Personal Prayer Request

Many of you know about my father-in-law's health condition and for the rest this is an update.

Mike's dad needs a heart transplant and right now is pretty high on the priority list. His heart is very weak and won't pump hard enough on its own to keep him alive, so currently he is on a 24/7 IV pump that goes straight to his heart to keep it pumping.

We've known this since March of this year but he's had a heck of a time dealing with an east coast hospital so earlier this month transferred his care to the Salt Lake City VA hospital. We thought he would be released to come to our house for Thanksgiving but he was in such bad condition that they wouldn't discharge him. So while Mike was home we went to visit him over the weekend and brought him Thanksgiving dinner and pie :).

Today he was supposed to be discharged and was hoping to drive down and stay here for a week until all the paperwork was approved through D.C. to be put on the official waiting list. Once again there were additional complications and his release has been postponed for at least several more days.

He was so incredibly upset and it just broke my heart hearing the disappointment and sadness in his voice. I cleared things at work and am taking tomorrow off to go spend the day with him and just baked another pie to take to him.

I'm asking for prayer for a couple of things. He is in such low spirits having been stuck in a new, unfamiliar hospital over the holidays and nowhere near family. He has to be at least a tad bit scared and nervous on top of being lonely and depressed. Without a stream of visitors to cheer him up, he's had nothing but time on his hands to contemplate every worst case scenario. If you would please pray that his spirits are lifted as we all know this also affects his physical health.

Secondly, it is so hard to pray for a heart to come quickly because we know what that entails and realize the sacrifice another family will experience in order to make our lives better. But...please pray that he will receive a match soon because time is working against us. It would be such a huge blessing to his sons to be able to spend a few more years with their father. Selfishly, I'd like for him to be around to meet our future children so that they will get to know their grandpa.

I appreciate all of your prayers in advance. Thank you.

My cutie pies

Dolce missed his daddy!! So did mommy!!!!!!!!




Dolce sitting with grandpa :) (my dad)


All 3 of the little rascals when I was dogsitting. Check out that sad little face on the boston terrier!! lol She missed her mommy.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Let's start with this little knitting obsession of mine. It's out of control. I'm pretty sure I haven't shared with everyone my little nerve damage issue :-) Or have I? Several weeks ago I was in the car with Mike and his bro & dad, so I brought my knitting along and was so focused on the project that I didn't even realize my finger was going numb!! I was using such tiny needles and putting pressure on my ring finger for support that it must have been sitting right on a nerve. Because, well. I still don't have feeling in that finger :-) :-) :-) haha! I know ridiculous right?

And NOW my issue is that there are SO many projects I want to start that I can't actually make a decision on which to do next! This may seem silly to non-knitters, but I sat on the couch just staring at all my options that last night I got NO knitting done. Which felt weird. :) I know, go ahead and laugh. I would too :)

AND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only 8 more hours to go before my honey is home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Happy Thanksgiving All!!!!!! Eat tons and be safe :-)

*hugs*

Paula Deen Pumpkin Pie

Just thought I'd share the absolute yummiest pumpkin pie recipe ever!!! Some of you may already use one similar, but I tried this last year and it's my new fav.

I can't wait to make it and eat it!! (It is the best part of Thanksgiving afterall!)

Ingredients:

* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
* 1 piece pre-made pie dough
* Whipped cream, for topping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Dogsitting

So I watched 2 more dogs this weekend for a friend. She always takes Dolce when we're out of town and someone else comes to the house to feed the big dogs.

Anyway, so it was my turn and talk about entertainment! They're just hysterical! 3 little doggies following me around everywhere and all 3 of them had to be in my lap if I was sitting. And boy does Dolce get jealous. He actually jumps on the other dogs if they're touching me to push them out of the way so that he can come and reclaim his spot on my lap. It was seriously way too funny!!

Okay, I don't know what's with the pictures loading backwards, but whatever. This one is actually of Hubie. He found a big chunk of ice from somewhere and was just walking around with it in his mouth! It was just funny :) My big gigantic teddy bear.


And this one!! We have this gate up to keep the little one out of the hallway and bedrooms/bathrooms. He likes to shred things. Anyway, I had gone into the bedroom for something and came out to see this! I just couldn't quit laughing!


And this is them trying to fight over who gets to lay in my lap. It's a terrible picture because, well one, it's with my phone and two, I was holding it over my head to try and get as much as I could. So you get the idea!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My hubby is coming home for Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have no idea how beyond excited I am. Seriously!!!!!!!

Cont... More on the Furries

So I'm a huge dork. I just remembered that it's way faster and easier to post it on youtube and just embed the video. Duh.

So here's a couple more! It's just too funny!!


Awwwwww





Do you see how filthy he is?? I think Hubie used him as a snotrag to wipe his slobber right up!

Crazy Doc? Or Just Me?

I've been meaning to blog about this for awhile now just to get some of your opinions. I've already asked a few girls at work and well some agree with me and some didn't.

I had a pretty serious sinus infection last week and went to see the Dr. on Thursday (a week ago). My Dr. moved so I had to find someone new to go to and this one was on the Tricare list. Actually she's just a nurse practitioner and she does specialize in women's health and weight loss, which is why I chose her (in addition to the many recommendations I've received to go see her).

I didn't have to wait long and when she entered the room she had me describe to her all of my symptoms. And maybe I'm super paranoid, except I don't normally notice things like this, but she kept glancing at my boobies!! I swear. I'm not making it up. But you know...I just ignored it thinking that I was being retarded. So then she had me jump up on the table and did a regular normal exam. She checked up my nose, down my throat, my eyes, my reflexes and then put the stethoscope on my back to check my breathing/listen to my lungs. And THEN... she moved that stethoscope to my chest to listen there and then proceeded to put that stethoscope on the boobie, in the middle of the boobie, and then under the boobie and lifted!!!! Yes, I said LIFTED!!!

That's just #1 weird thing. And I've been to the dr plenty and never had anyone do that before. Has someone else so I'm not thinking that my APN was feeling me up? I'm still a little weirded out by it. And it would have been one thing if I hadn't already noticed the boobie glancing.

Weird thing #2. She asked if I'd been getting good sleep to help get better. And I said no, I haven't had a good nights sleep in a couple of weeks. She asked why so I told her about Mike's situation and that I just haven't been able to sleep since he's been gone. SO of course I started crying. I would cry anyway, but 3 things. I miss him terribly, I was sick, AND I was pmsing. With that combination there was just no holding back the tears and boy did they flow!! So she then asked me if I was a Christian. I said yes. She said, are you saved? And I said yes.

I am a Christian, I am Saved. However, it was sort of awkward for me to be asked that sort of question right after the boobie incident. She had asked because she was telling me I should give my worries to the Lord. Which I know and agree with. But she sat there and preached at me for 10 minutes and had no clue about my history and background. It was a little insulting, though I knew she was trying to be encouraging.

Weird thing #3. Just at the end of my visit, while writing out the script for antibiotics, she asked if there was anything else she could do for me, if there was anything else that I wanted or if I had any questions. So I said no, thank you. And then she asked if I wanted an anti-depressant.

I was crying because I MISS MY HUSBAND. A very natural reaction. That does not mean that I am depressed. Anyone that knows me knows that depression is just not in my chemistry. It's just not. I get sad sometimes, but never depressed. Not the sort of depression that requires medication. I was shocked that without knowing my medical, or any kind of, history she was wanting to prescribe that sort of medication. Plus, isn't that sort of very contradictory to the whole place your faith in God and let go of all your worries bit?

So...have faith that God will take care of you and fill your life with Joy and Happiness. Place all your worries on Him and allow Him to take control and perform His will for your life. BUT, just in case He can't here's an anti depressant! Which I might need after having been felt up.

NOW. I'm not saying that there aren't people that really need anti-depressants. I'm not saying that there aren't Christian people that don't need it. It's a true chemical imbalance that I believe is a medical condition. However; after having received a 10 minute lecture on MY FAITH and without knowing a line of my history she was going to prescribe a medication which has altered lives for the worse of those who were diagnosed incorrectly.


What is your opinion? Was I too judgemental, too paranoid? Or did I just happen to have, apparently, the only phenomenally weird dr's appointment with her since she came so highly recommended by many.

Please please share!!!

More on the Furries

He was outside playing with the big dogs and just barely made it inside the door because he just plopped right down! Guess they wore him out :)







More videos to post tomorrow, they take too long to load!

Holy Crapamoly!

I just realized Thanksgiving is already NEXT WEEK!!!! And then Christmas stuff goes up!!!!


Sheesh....

My Babies

The vet instructed us to put Cooper on a diet. He looks healthy now! I can't wait to take him in to get weighed :-) This is my baby!!





I know this video is really dark, but Hubie and Dolce play all the time now and it is just the funniest thing! I'm going to try and take another video this weekend when there's actually still sunlight out. But in the meantime, look how funny and cute they are!

Knitting Stuff

K, the pictures loaded backwards.

This is just a close up of something I'm currently making for a friend, so just in case she actually checks this I'm not posting the entire thing until it is completed and delivered. :)


I found this turkey hat pattern yesterday and just had to make this for my friends baby. So I bought the 2 colors I didn't have and went home and made it last night! Isn't that just hysterical?? I can't wait to see it on the baby :-)




Mike is big into hunting so these are 2 different hats that I made for him, my own pattern. The ribbed part is actually folded and knitted together with the CO stitches so that it stays.

Awwwwww

My sexy honey back in uniform!

My Best Friend's Wedding

So she finally got some pictures!!!!! YAY! I know I still have other pictures to post, but my internet at home isn't really working.

I adore the two of her and the new hubby, isn't it sweet??? And of course the two of us :-)






**Edited to add more pics***
He looks so happy!! Just so cute and funny!
Mary's cousin Lindsey, sister Kristy, Mary and Me.


Aren't they just beautiful??!!









I LOVE weddings!! In case you couldn't tell! :-)

Toboggan

Is it a sled? OR. Is it a hat?

This is the discussion taking place in our office today because I've been taking a poll!

It all started when I asked my dad if there was anything he'd like for me to knit for him and his answer was a Toboggan. I said "Can do!" and got off the phone and told Mike that dad just wants me to knit up a Toboggan. Mike says "How the heck are you gonna knit a TOBOGGAN??" I'm like piece of cake, I've already made at least one.

Obviously, we were talking about 2 different things and neither of us had heard of the other. I have only ever known a Toboggan to be a hat. Mike's only ever known it to be a form of a sled and thought I was crazy.

This conversation happened weeks, maybe months ago, but today I got a pattern in my email for a "Knitted Toboggan Hat" and got all excited about it realizing that I wasn't the crazy one! So I figured it must be a Southern thing and went to a coworker who's actually from Louisana and asked "What's a Toboggan?" and she said "A hat." I was like Awesome, thanks!!! :) So I was telling another friend/coworker about it and turns out after asking the rest of the office, no one else has ever heard of it being referred to as a hat. I looked it up on webster.com and sure enough #3 definition is Knitted Cap from the southern and midland regions.

And seriously...how often, if at all, does it actually snow in the south?? I, and the other "southern" co-worker, knew nothing about it being a sled because we never had opportunity to ride one where we grew up.

So what do you think, do you wear it or do you ride it?

Mike says it's a sled, end of story. :-) Apparently most of my coworkers agree. Jill made this picture for me :) lol

Plea for Prayer

I almost cried last night. I just felt awful listening to McCain give his speech and yet was filled with a sense of pride at his humbleness and dignity.

I wonder how divided the country will be since it seemed during this election people particularly had very strong opinions and feelings towards the candidates.

It will definitely be very interesting to see how it all plays out, though I'm sure the results came as no surprise to anyone.

Now is the time that we really need to pray for our country. I know everyone has been excited for change and anxious for a fresh start. I would make a plea, no matter who had been elected, that everyone pray for our country as we make new adjustments and hope for the best.

Let's everyone lift Obama and his family up in our prayers and ask that he receive Wisdom and Guidance as he leads our country.

Buzz Lightyear

Oh yeah....!!! SO. At the rally I totally wanted to punch someone's lights out. I have become a feisty hothead and just can't tolerate stupid and rude people. I just can't! My tolerance has run OUT.

While we were waiting for everyone to enter the building and pass the security check before Palin was scheduled to speak, there was this woman standing just behind and to the right of me. So, pretty much in my right ear. She saw a man sitting in the stands just behind the podium who she thought looked just like Buzz Lightyear from ToyStory. She was telling EVERYBODY within arms reach (which was a LOT of people in a crowd like that) that she thought so and was asking if they agreed. NOW. This woman was at least in her early 40s and thought she was a hotshot. She was flirting with a highschooler for crying out loud. Anyway, she would not drop the Buzz thing and for ONE HOUR AND 30 MINUTES at MINIMUM she SQUEALED about Buzz Lightyear and every move he made. Everytime she squealed into my freakin ear, I wanted to turn around and punch her!

Now, this is the closest I have ever come in my life to randomly confronting somebody. THAT is how annoying she was. I seriously almost lost it and turned around to tell her, that for 1) she was being incredibly rude to that man and in a small community like ours I'm sure there are plenty of people within hearing distance that probably know him personally. 2) NOBODY ELSE CARES!!!!! 3) For a woman of her age she was acting like a child. AND 4) If she didn't quit squealing in my ear I was gonna punch her.

And then as I turned my head to give her a nasty look she yelled "GO BUZZ!!!" practically in my face and I smelled alcohol. Oh good.

So then I realized that if I confronted her she might be the one to try and throw a punch and then we'd have a cat fight on our hands. THEN one or both of us would get kicked out. And I didn't wait for 3.5 hours just to get kicked out.

Plus, I've never been in a fight. Oh but wait! Umm, I've never actually confronted anyone either. So the likelihood of that EVER having been played out was pretty slim, but whatever. Maybe I would have made the news if I had! After all, she was some hotshot. :-)

GO VOTE!! GO VOTE!! GO VOTE!!

If you haven't already! But only if you're voting for McCain! JUST kidding!! haha! :-)

GO VOTE!!!!!!!


So I went to the Sarah Palin rally last night and got a ton of pictures. I couldn't believe how tiny she was in person! And gorgeous, but that's besides the point. She still delivered a great speech even though you could tell she was exhausted and mustering up every ounce of energy she could. Her plane didn't even land in Elko until 11pm and I had been there since 7:45. I got home at 1am and needless to say I was exhausted! You wouldn't believe how many people showed up for a small town at a very late hour on a weeknight. There were quite a lot of teenagers which was a nice surprise!

They held the rally at the Elko High School Gym and I heard one of the ladies in charge explaining that they could only fit 4300 people in the building and everyone else was going to have to be directed to the football field where they had set up a big screen. To be honest, if I had been sent to the football field, I would have just gone home. As it turned out, even though I was wayyyyy back in the line even at 7:45, I got a great view on the floor directly in front of her. A few people back but close enough to get some pictures! Those will be posted later. I obviously haven't even had time to look them over yet and see if I got anything post worthy.

Pictures to follow!! The very last campaign rally held before Big Tuesday!

NOW GO VOTE!!!

Super Busy Week

So we have had an incredibly busy week. Mike's brother and dad were in town so we have been entertaining guests for a week. On top of that we had to drive to Spokane to drop Guinness off at the trainers (while Mike is gone) and we took that at a slower pace so it took us 3 days round trip.

I don't know what the heck I'm doing on here since it's my last day to spend with my hubby before he's gone for a year. I guess except that he's packing and there's nothing I can do to help out. :(

I'm just going to pretend like he's not packing otherwise I'll spend all day acting like a crazy hysterical wife. So you're going to get pictures.

This was nothing!!! I was just couldn't get a picture in quick enough to catch the faster speeds. Plus it was a little scary :-) lol







My little cutie patootie! (or however you spell that! ha!)

I miss him already!! :(

Bonneville Speedway, Salt Flats




Angel Lake. Mike's dad bought this cool camera that had panaromic capture. Pretty cool!

Mike teaching me to skip rocks at Angel Lake.

The Warren Boys.


Isn't that just hysterical?

At Squatters in SLC.

Finally putting up the fish!!!! Mike caught this fish on our honeymoon. (for those that didn't already know)




And last but not least: 2 mature grown men playing Guitar Hero :)

I had just finished making that hat, so he was wearing it. :)




More pictures to follow!