"Bottles of Hope" Challenge

The Bottle I entered...

Here I am, pointing out my bottle, #11 out of 25 other finalists...

One of the Judges. They voted on the Best of Show and Best Expression of Hope Awards.

Lisa Pavelka explaining about the Bottles of Hope Program. She then began to announce the Awards. She started with the runners up for the "People's Choice Awards". I'm sure the look on my face was priceless, as my name was the first to roll off her lips...

Here I am being awarded my gift basket full of goodies...

There were a lot of Demo's throughout the 4 days of the Trade Show. I wish I could've gone all 4 days... (There were so many Make and Takes to do... if u had the time...)

This is a wonderful lady, Christi Friesen. (Google her too). She is a world renown artist. She teaches Polymer clay classes, She has taught in other Countries. I believe the last country she taught classes were in Australia. She has a series of art books out, with the last one having to do with what she was teaching there... It's call "Down Under" I believe.. Her newest book just came out, and is not part of the series, and I don't recall the title, but you can bet it will be sitting in my studio soon..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the very end of December, I had entered the "Bottles of Hope Challenge" with Staedtler. I have taken several classes and gone on Art Cruises with Lisa Pavelka, (Google her, she's awesome) I was lucky enough to make the finalists... Staedtler invited all finalists to go to the CHA trade show to see who won... (This was held the end of January. We were given Guest Badges, they treated us wonderfully and the people were awesome...

I was excited when I found out that I was a runner up in the 'People's Choice Award'. I won a $100 basketful of goodies from Staedtler... Included in my fun basket was blocks of Fimo Clay, plus a special type of modeling clay that u cook in the microwave for 10 minutes, then once cooled, you can paint... There were 2 clay kits, water color markers, water color crayons and clear gloss for Polymer (and my mind runs blank to what else, but it was full of cool stuff...)

As if I wasn't jazzed enough by this point, I then won the grand prize in the drawing that Staedtler had later in the day... It was a complete Fimo Kids kits DISPLAY CASE... There were 6 different designs, each in a fold out booklet with directions. I received 10 of each kit, for a total of 60 kits or 240 blocks of Fimo Clay... Whoo hoo...

My display had 6 different designs, I received 10 of each kit, Plus 2 more were in my goodie backet...


I got to do Make and Takes at different booths, and visited booths of pals, Lisa Pavelka, Christi Friesen, Kristal Wick, Lisa Lambright (JHB) and others... Needless to say it was a fun filled day with me ending up with lots of Stuff to take home... (They actually shipped the kits to me so we wouldn't have to carry them around...)

I love this new art world that I've gotten so deeply involved in, in the past couple years... I get to take art classes, go on art cruises, and meet some of the best teachers in the WORLD. I've meet lots of great artists, and people who are also starting out in this new adventure... Its great fun and the people so far, have been the BEST!!!!

CHA, where the Awards ceremonies were held, where at the Anaheim Convention Center.



(NEXT POST: OUR TRIP TO PHOENIX)

Crystal Chix Cruise - Nov.2008

Ok, yeah, I'n always late on updating, but figured if nothing else, I could at least give You a glimpse of My second Art Cruise, and John's first cruise ever.. He was worried about Sea Sickness, as he gets sicker than a dog when attempting Deep Sea Fishing... We all assured him this was a different kind of boat (Ship) and he took a couple precautions, and he loved it... He's going with me again in November 2009. (And If I can get on the art cruise in May, maybe I can talk him into that one too.. he-he).

As Promised!!

OMG!!! Look at that hair... She's fabulous and perfect, and check out those rosy cheeks.. Mommy and Daddy did good... And Ryan now has an adorable baby sister to protect!!

We LOVE you all.. Can't wait till we see u all in person...

SHE'S HERE!!!!

No, we don't have any pictures yet, but Miss Annie, (Ann Elizabeth Colby) entered the world today at 1:41 PM. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 4 oz, was 20 1/2 inches long, and had lots of curly dark hair...

Mommy says that once they got Miss Annie cleaned up, her hair dried much straighter, but is almost long enough to need her first hair cut, ha-ha... Anyway, both the Colby gals are doing great and will get to go home Thursday... We love you Annie...

Pictures will be posted as soon as we get them...

Anniversary Tradition????

Yes, I'm way behind in posting again... And I have a lot to post, especially since we just got back a week ago from Texas where my sister Jeannie got married after more than 27 years of being single after her first marriage... (Pics and more on that to be posted soon)...

We had a quiet day, spending the day in Bakersfield for Movies and dinner. He bought me a really pretty hand-blown cobalt blue glass heart pendant with large flecks of gold in the heart... There are also 2 clear beads, one on each side of the heart full of floating gold flecks... It was quite the surprise as he has never bought me anything so vibrant in color before... What's cool about it is u can wear it with a fancy outfit, yet fits right in with a pair of jeans as well...

After reading, first Cori's blog, and then Christine’s... (Both also recently having a Wedding Anniversary) I figured since John and I just had our 16th anniversary September 30th... I should comment on ours as well... Thanks to Cori, (her friend, and Christine, this may become a tradition… so here goes…

Some Facts about John & Michelle's marriage u may, or may not know, but soon shall :)

1. What is his name?... John, Sgrbare to me, Honey and Babe

2. How did I meet him?... I was a fire Dispatcher in Ontario, Ca, and one Saturday, I took my daughter to Red Mountain for BBQ ribs, only to find out they had closed the little family restaurant due to illness... so we went to Randsburg to check out the antique shops and the old store with it's old fashioned ice cream counter... Due to Cori's curiosity about why my pager suddenly went "OUT OF RANGE" and how far we would have to go till it went back "IN RANGE", we ended up in front of the fire station. Being a fire dispatcher, I collected Fire Patches, and went in to see if I could get one for my collection. The Engineer went to get the Captain for me, who came out in biker shorts and a tank top as he was working out... I was immediately smitten... the rest is history!!!

3. Who said I love you first?... I honestly can't remember...

4. Who kissed who first?... He kissed me first, but I think I may have been the one to keep it going...

5. Who proposed?... John, on his knee in front of his parent’s house in the driveway on Thanksgiving Day...

6. What are his best qualities and features?... His best qualities are that he is very caring, helps ANYONE who needs his help... Will do just about anything for friends or family, even if it interferes with his plans... He's a Best friend to all of his friends... Has a great work ethic, is honest and loyal... His best physical features are his gorgeous smile, buff arms and cute little tush (I love that he actually has one that's NOT flat) and I recently noticed at the airport while renting a car, and wearing 501 jeans, u could see well formed calves, (very sexy!)

7. Guilty pleasures... Doing art work when I should be doing house work or putting away laundry... Eating out every chance I get, and only being happy eating popcorn that has hot tamale candies mixed in...

8. Who eats more?... He eats more, but chooses healthier food (most the time) but I "LOOK" like I eat more!! (How fair is that??)

9. Who cooks more?... That's a hard one, because we rarely eat at the same time, we both just makes ourselves something when hunger hits... If we have a REAL meal together, He usually cooks the meat, (if it can be done on the BBQ) and I do the side dishes... so probably pretty equal...

10. Who's the most sensitive?... Wow, does this mean sensitive as in who gets their feeling hurt easier?? if so, then me. If u mean more caring, I think we are fairly equal with each other...

11. Who is the first to admit they are wrong?... Oh dang, who thought of THIS question?? As much as I hate to admit it, Probably John...

12. Who does the laundry?... I do, however, he normally does his uniforms, as he likes them done by themselves... and he often does them at work, so they are already done before he even comes home... (he sometimes helps me put them away since I don’t mind sorting, washing, folding and hanging them on hangers, but I HATE putting them away... (probably because we have more clothes than space to put them)

13. Who does the dishes?... The dishwasher... I'm usually the one who put's them away, though not always... For some weird reason I hate putting away the silverware, so he usually does that... As far as dishes that need hand washing, we each normally just wash them as we use them...

14. Who is more stubborn?... It really depends on what it's about, though as a rule, I would say me... but if he feels he's right, I don't stand a chance...

15. Who pays the bills?... He does, and for this, he's definitely my HERO...

16. Who drives the most when we are together?... Definitely John...

17. What side of the bed do we sleep on? I sleep on the left side of the bed, John sleeps on the right, but when he's at work, I sleep on his side... (yeah, don't ask me why, I honestly don't know...)

18. Who wears the pants in the family?... John... Though he ALLOWS me to wash and repair them... except uniform pants, (see # 12)

19. Who has more siblings?...Me.. 2 sisters, 3 brothers, He has one of each

20. Who makes more money at their job? Most definitely John, not only a 56 hr a week (minimum) Fire Captain, he works as much overtime as possible, as we are hoping to see him retire soon... I'm retired, but have started making more money with my artwork... I would love to be a known artiste in my choice of media... but I'm not holding my breath in making more than he does...

21. Who holds a grudge?... Wow, another unfair question... I can't even pretend I don't know. It would be me... I think it's a family trait from MY family's side... though I've finally gotten a lot better at it... even hubby has noticed... and lucky for me, in about 5 minutes, he's forgotten what he was upset about...

Is our marriage perfect?... I'm sure people on the outside may not always see it, but as a couple, it works for us... he says we compliment each other. We know each others faults and quirks, and realize that loving each other in spite of them, makes US perfect for each other...

Pondering on Friends and Friendships....

I recently helped a friend with some of her scrap booking, and she wanted some poems or sayings about friends... I came across a couple I wanted to share...

A REASON FOR EVERYTHING

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there...to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be, but when you lock eyes with them, you know that every moment they will affect your life in some profound way. And sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles, you would have never realized your potential, strength, will power or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. Safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless -- the people you meet affect your life.

The successes and downfalls that you experience can create whom you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whomever you open your heart.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people you have never talked to before and actually listen.

Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create your own life and then go out and live it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE FOR A REASON...

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done, The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson,
love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other
relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Why can't we update our blogs by Osmosis?

Ok, so I thought I had a good idea, and was going to update my blog by going back month by month, but as u see, hmmm, not so good, so I've decided to go back to August, do a quickie on each part up till now, AND then if I get the chance, I will go back to other tasty morsels of my life..

In August, Christine and I FINALLY got to go on our bi-annual Las Vegas trip... No hubbys, no time schedules, no worries...

We stayed at the Paris Hotel and Casino, someplace different for a change, and it was nice.


My plan, hang out at the pool, read a book and veg!! (Oh yes, and gamble a little, its Vegas baby!). Christine's plan, go on a mission for squashed pennies... Hmmm, not quite the same plan, but it turns out, her plan was actually a lot more fun... though more tiring... I can't really complain though, because I rented a scooter to trek around Vegas, while SHE walked a gazillion miles in flip-flops!!!

At the end of each day, on our way back to the hotel, we had to watch and collect the nubs of her toes that fell off as she walked all over Vegas... I think we retrieved them all before we left, but BOY was I glad I had rented the scooter

We spent a lot time rushing around, finding cool and different things to eat, and COLLECTING pennies.... Of course we fit some gambling in, though not much shopping this time, although I did get John an M&M race car candy dispenser at the M&M store (Christine's suggestion) for his birthday, and he loves it... and a few other odds and ends that I don’t recall except the usual t-shirts, a Hawaiian print shirt for him and key chains...
Christine had a nasty Staph infection her shoulder which meant pain for her, and playing nurse for me... My part was easy and actually enjoyed doing it for her... I love forensic shows, so right up my alley... But riding the bus and such was painful for her, and though she didn’t really complain, u could tell it was taking a toll on her... You couldn’t really tell much though, as she was still as full of spunk and "Let's go" as usual...

I have collected squashed pennies before, like in Disneyland with Christine, and then a few other places with hubby on vacations, but Christine got me started. I can't say I had much of a collection before Vegas, and will never catch up to her, but now I can actually lay claim to a collection, because as far as I can tell, if u have over a hundred, it's a collection....

I can't remember everyplace we went, but a few of the places were the Rain Forest cafe', NASCAR cafe', Dead body exhibit, the M&M, and the Grand Canyon Experience... Christine, if u remember the others, feel free to add a comment...

By the end of the trip, I was as bad as she was and just HAD to go to the NASCAR Cafe to get our small stash there... How we beat our time schedule fitting that in, I will never know (except maybe Christine's organization) but we did...


We went to the Casino, (The name of which has slipped my mind at the moment, Christine, do u remember the name?) where they have dead bodies to get the PRIZED pennies from the exhibit there, only to find out that u had to go thru the exhibit to get to the gift shop to get them... Well, neither of us wanted to spend like $32 or whatever it was JUST to get a few pennies. She had seen the exhibit before and besides neither of us were up to spending that much at the moment... So, crafty as she was, we talked the guy in charge into taking her up to the gift shop up some back stairs to the gift shop. She was only allowed to get our precious pennies there, but who cared? That was the only reason we went anyway...

I think I would like to try to make it a yearly trip, if we can work it into our schedules, as I get the free rooms anyway... The only thing is, though I really had a great time, I think if u plan to do a week trip in 2 days, we need to plan more together... though I have to admit, although her plan was more tiring, especially for her, walking everywhere, it was far more fun once I got into it... And collecting between 40 or 50 pennies to add to the collection didn’t hurt either...

Ok, now March...

Ok, so it wasn't only a week like I was hoping, before I updated for the next month... But I AM getting better...

In March, We went to Vegas, twice... The first time was just for a couple days to get away... You know how u are just tired and need a few days away?? Well, it worked...

We barely got back in time for our 10th grandbaby to be born...


Welcome to the family Baby Sarah...


What a cutie! .
Finally, after 4 boys , another girl!!




And what could possibly make the day any happier??? Well, how about on the same day as our new Sarah is born, Cori found out She's gonna be a mommy again.. WOW, How great is That??? And Cori keeps having Odd numbered babies.. (Ryan was #9 and this will be #11) That is definately cool...










Hmmm wonder who's gonna be #13?? Now we all KNOW, that's gonna be ONE special baby too, huh????


(Maybe we should have #12 FIRST!!)





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Our 2nd trip to Vegas was to use up the rest of our time share for that time frame... We were too lazy to call in and bank the points... and besides, can u really have too many holidays?

Finally Making Good on My Promise to Update...

Well, as I stated in some reallllly old post, our house flooded the downstairs floor back on June 7th, as I was getting on a plane to go visit my lovely daughter and her hubby in Phoenix for her baby shower... (More on that in another posting).

When John got back from the airport, he was welcomed at the front door with water that was coming from underneath it... The water filter on the back of our refrigerator had split open and water was gushing out of it. He got the water shut off, and realized that the water was already seeping into every room in the downstairs portion of our home... Lucky for us, our bedroom is 3 steps higher, so that was the only room downstairs that was spared...

He grabbed the water vac and sucked up something like 30 gallons of water. We have no clue how much was still in the carpeting of the living room and piano room, as he could only get so much of that out... (The padding was sucking it up faster than a sponge...)

He called his son Joseph to see if he could come over to help get the furniture off the wet carpeting before it soaked into it... He came over with his girlfriend Emma, and for the next 5 hours they moved furniture, filled boxes (and didn't label them, which meant it is like Christmas every time I open a box... as I have no clue what is in them...) I was very lucky Emma had come along as I have curio cabinets full of goodies, (lots of Boyds Bears, Fire Department mementos from both John's and my careers... and more things that u would even want to try to guess at) as she took every item out of the cabinets, lovingly wrapping each item in tissue paper, placing them in boxes, and actually labeled each box as to which cabinet it went in, and even which shelf... for that, I can never thank her enough...

I opened 8 of those boxes tonight, and not one thing, (knock on wood) so far has been broken... I even found things I had forgotten I had... Such as a metal slotted box holding the tuning forks that I used back in the day, to tone out my first structure fires and medical aids... (NOOOO, I'm not THAT old, but Barstow was slow in getting a new fire station and actual electronic equipment which meant pushing a button instead of grabbing a tuning fork for each piece of equipment that was needed, banging it on the desk then clicking the mic open to hear the tone to open the radios so that I could put out the call.. (Hmmm, sure makes me sound old doesn't it?) A couple months later, we moved into a brand new fire station, with push buttons, and the tuning forks retired... They were given to me several years ago... Wow sounds like a WHOLE new blog story, huh??? Anyway, back to the flood...

For 5 days, John worked on ripping out carpeting, pulling off baseboards, and moving all furniture into the garage, upstairs, or outside under the porches, or under tarps... Little did we know that for 23 weeks, the only flooring we would know would be concrete, as they had to tear out all carpeting, and a company came in to tear up all the tile, as water had gotten underneath, and in areas where starting to buckle...

In a way, I'm glad I was in Arizona, and away from having to see my house being torn up. Holes were drilled in walls to help the drywall dry out, (even though some of it had to be cut away) around the base of all the wooden cabinets on the kitchen floor, so as not to ruin the cabinets... Big dryers, fans and dehumidifiers were brought in, to dry everything out... When after almost a week had gone by, and drywall was still wet, they just took hammers and banged bigger holes in-between each stud to help the process along...

John sent pictures to my email which I pulled up on my laptop that night. Believe me when I say, I didn't know which was worse, not being able to try to save what "I" felt needed to be saved, or being there watching my house being under siege by men with hammers and large LOUD equipment, that made our house almost impossible to carry on a conversation in.. Then again, maybe it WAS better that I was away...

Here are a few of the pictures that John sent me that first nite...



Moving out furniture...



Pulling up the carpeting...



Notice the concrete?? Yeah, that was our flooring for 23 weeks...



Stairs are a great place to put things to keep them dry, especially when all the furniture is gone...



This was the picture that made me cry.... (Note where they had to drill nice big holes to put the hoses in to dry under all the cabinets???

PAYBACK

Yes, yes, yes, I'm terrible at this blogging thing... and I've been keeping a jounal of the flood fiasco that happened June 7th, and is still going on (Mold test passed today... hurray, they can take down this plastic booth that takes up 2/3rds of the hallway). But this is NOT what this post is about... it's about PAYBACK... Christine sayssssssss, she's my best friend, but if u saw the pic of me she posted, u would wonder how true that really is... SO I'm going to post a couple pics of us, her, blah blah blah.... and I'm giving her the chance to put a nicer pic of me up, or I will start pulling out the blackmail shots... So here's ur chance girly... Love ya Christine... Now be nice. Now see this pic?? She could've used one like this for: "What were we thinking"? And though we may look silly, I don't look like an "AN OLD HAG!!! Now, I'm still being nice with posting this one... just remember Christine, I have BLACKMAIL shots... so find something a little kinder... hehe

I have SOOOOO much updating to do!!

I have SOOOOO much updating to do!! So much has happened, (Our house flooded June 7th, a project not even half done yet... and lots more to bring u up to speed.) but I wanted to give the most fabulous news first... then hopefully I will find time to do this blogging like a good girl, ha-ha... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As most of u know, I have 8 lovely grandchildren... and I love them all... but on July 1st, grandbaby #9 was born at 02:47 AM... and the first one that has my blood running thru his veins... which, well... is pretty special... His name is Ryan Taft, and was 7 lbs. 6 oz, and 19 1/2 inches long...His mommy, my daughter, Cori... called me at 4am on June 30th, saying her water had broken at 1:40am... and that I probably wouldn't be able to catch a flight to Phoenix in time for his birth, especially since they were starting her on Patosin at 05:30 am.

I was on Travelocity.com at 05:30am looking for a same day flight, and praying it wouldn't cost a fortune, since I had no leeway time.I found a flight out of Burbank, Ca that was departing at 3:30 pm, landing at 5:00 pm on that same day, for only $138...

John had been on a wild land fire for 9 days, and was coming home that morning for a 24 hr mandatory rest day, and as soon as he got home, he helped me pack my suitcase. I knew the baby could be born while I was in-flight, or even before I got to the airport, but I had to try...

Little Ryan, just like his mommy, decided to come 2 weeks early, and no one had packed for their trips yet. Not even Cori, his mommy, for the hospital... To make a long story short, by the time I got my luggage and was driven to the hospital, it was after 6PM...

It had taken 45 minutes before they even put our baggage on the conveyor belt. It took a half hour for the car to get to the hospital a half hour away… I’m telling you, hire a car; they are cheaper than taxis…

Cori had been given an epidural, so was feeling no pain, and slept from time to time. Her hubby Bryan tried to grab quick naps when she did, since they had been up all day, had only about 2 hrs of sleep the night before. I have to say, I have never in my life, seen a better birthing coach. He watched her labor on a computer screen, warned her BEFORE the contractions came. He talked her through each contraction, and is the only person I know who can calm her down with just the look from his eyes. He would tell her what a great job she was doing, what a trouper she was, etc. etc... And he did this for almost 25 hrs.... He was great!!! (I hope he doesn't read this... ha-ha)

She pushed for 3 hrs, and decided about a half hour before the baby was born that she couldn't do it, and told the doctor so... The doctor told her that she had delivered (I forget how many) lots of babies, and that labor always had the end result, a birth… She was so exhausted by this point; it made me want to cry...but she persevered…

I cannot tell u how many times I heard that doctor say, "Just ONE more push"...!!!! I would stand, wait for awhile, and after a few pushes, would sit back down on the sofa bed, provided in the birthing room... It was already after 2 AM on July 1st. (Which both Bryan and I were happy about since he had had a bracelet made with all three of their birthstones, and I had just bought birthstone charms for each of my grandchildren to put on a chain, planning on a baby being born the middle of July).

I think at this point, we were all ready for this baby to make his way into the world. “One more push.” I heard the Doctor say, (Yeah, right I thought) but got up once again, just in time to see his feet finish being born… I could NOT believe it. Booger Bryan says I didn’t actually see him being born, since I did'nt see his head appear… Yeah right, like I WILL ever believe that!!!!

Welcome to the world little Ryan… Your Grammy and Papa (along with everyone else in your family) will always love and cherish you. And thank you God, for giving us another Complete family to love.

Spoiled Pets (or are they children?)

If you like cute stories about children and pets, u will love this... A couple of weeks ago, our oldest daughter went to a hair show in Vegas. (Christy is going to school to be a hairstylist, etc..) Anyway, she couldn’t take her daughter with her, so she spent the weekend with Grammy and Papa... Being only 5, it didn’t seem a good idea having her sleep upstairs clear on the other side of the house, (wake up scared, forget the stairs... well, u get the idea...) sooooo, we popped up a 5 ft sq pup tent up in our bedroom (complete with a thick down comforter, folded in 4ths, very comfy!!!!) .. Privacy for us, her own space, and us close enough in case a boogie man hopped out... Angie, my mini-schnauzer tried to go in the tent but Ina quickly kicked her out... this was HER room... Sunday nite Mommy comes and picks Ina up and I decided to wait till the following day to take it down... That nite when John and I went to go to bed, Angie was NOT in her normal spot on my side of the bed... We looked for her, and she was all curled up on pillows in the tent... John said to let her stay the nite there if she wanted... Well after 3 nites, I decided I was NOT going to keep this huge pup tent in my room for the dog! So I went online and found a doggy tent... 2 ft in each direction, just the perfect size for her and her pillow... With S&H, the whole thing was under $10. (Tent is normally $15 alone, but was on sale for $4.70) It took about a week to get here, but she loves it, and every time I’m on the puter in my bedroom, she is in the tent... Best $10 I ever spent... And

Me and My Hubby

Did I happen to mention that Hubby is a gorgeous Fire Captain? This photo was taken at the Fireman's Ball in Feb. 2006...