Wednesday, September 24, 2008

NEW FAMILY PIC!!

We now have a family picture with the whole family in it - Kierra and Mac have been excluded from our other picture, and we are soooo glad to have one now with them in it. Thanks and kudos go to Ranie and Colin for taking their time and using their 'expertise' in taking so many wonderful pictures that it was hard to choose a favorite. (So, Ranie - no, we don't need re-takes!!)

Friday, September 19, 2008

TIME TO VENT!!!


Look at this adorable, little creature! This is Moose; aka Moosey Face and Stupid Kitty. Let me give you some background on Moose: He was named Moose because of the very prominent M on his forehead, not for his size, although he has 'grown into' his name and it fits very appropriately now. He is a very affectionate cat, and has even won over the forever-cat-hating Mike. He is not as light footed as most cats. In fact, you can hear him coming down the stairs over the TV. He broke his hip a while ago, which has added to his distinctive footstep. His purr is also about as loud as an army helicopter hovering over our house. So, he's big and loud.
He's also not 'our' cat. He's Taylor's cat, but the stupid thing doesn't seem to know that. He sleeps with us. 'Ok,' you say, 'a lot of animals sleep with their owners.' But do they sleep on their faces? No kidding!! He waits until I'm comfy and half asleep and then he jumps up onto the bed, paws at me until I'm on my back and then he PLOPs down hard onto my chest with half of him landing on my face. Push him off, you say?!? I've tried!! Mike's tried; the other night Mike came to bed later than me and found me asleep on my stomach, hands and arms covering my face and Moose digging at me trying to get me to roll over. Mike took him off the bed, laid him down on the couch and came to bed.... with Moose right behind him. WHY the insanity of it all!! And that's not all!! Oh, no no no! Once he's in position, he has this behavior he has inherited from his mother; he licks the tip of my nose 3 times, and then takes a gentle chomp into my nose and sits there - mouth open, teeth barely into my skin - for about a minute. Don't talk to me about nurture vs. nature!!! I live with Moose and Alex!! How does a cat learn this from a mother he was taken from at 6 weeks of age??? WHY would a cat learn this??
And THIS is Angel; aka Angel Girl and Devil Woman. She really is a good dog, if you can look past the neediness, and the loud barking and the hair.... everywhere! OK, I admit, she's my baby and I spoil her rotten!
Her and Mike have had this little war going on for a long time that I think is hilarious. She knows Mike doesn't like her on the bed, so when she hears him coming downstairs, she jumps up onto the bed (yes, she really does wait until she hears him!) and lays down on HIS side of the bed and pretends (yes, she really does pretend) to be asleep!! I've watched her do this! Then Mike does his little "I'm the boss and you better get off my bed" voice and she so, very sloooooowly will 'slide' off the bed. Oh, she's good!!!
Now that I've introduced you to the stinkers in our family, you understand why Mike is bald, and I am crazy!!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Finally.... autopsy results!

I hope Josh and Cali don't mind that I write about this on my blog; I've mentioned before how this blog is becoming like a journal to me, and this is something I want to remember! Sorry kids if I'm overstepping my bounds! It's not the first time, and probably won't be the last!

Cali and Josh received a copy of the autopsy results in the mail the other day, and we had the chance to sit down as a family and have it explained to us by my brother Shaun. (He's an Occupational Therapist, so he understands the terminology better than we do.) The cause of Mac's death was a cord accident, which is what we all thought, and I think secretly hoped for, since this whole event happened. Cali and Josh seemed to receive this with such calmness and strength - but that shouldn't surprise us. They've been strong this whole time. There are a few questions that they will have the chance to ask a specialist on the 23rd, and then the gentleman that performed the autopsy happens to be related to a relative, and has offered to sit down with them and explain anything and everything if they would like him to.

All I can say is I'm glad to have the results and that the Lord has his hand in all things!!

Friday, September 5, 2008

'How to survive Lasik surgery' STARRING Mike





First you cuddle your teddy bear.... this is the most important step of the whole process...














... next allow a stranger to cut your eye with this 'cookie cutter' contraption...



... then scrape the lens off your eye with another sharp object...




... now that your eye is 'naked' , have the stranger apply extreme heat in the form of lasers to your eye. Yes, your eye looks dull and dead, but, hey, you're paying this stranger to do this, so....









... once the laser has blasted your eye, allow the stranger to lay your lens back down over your eye. He uses that white thing to push your lens down and make sure the lens has no folds in it...





...go home looking like a complete dweeb, but able to see dweeby self in the mirror...

















... two weeks later go back to said stranger's office for an eye exam. Find out you have 20 / 20 vision!! ...
...be so grateful for things like small print, beautiful sunsets, and a knowledge that you still love your wife even though you can now see her first thing in the morning!!