A Dozen Snowmen and A Dog

 What to do with a yard full of snow 

that you never really wanted...

 Make a snowman? 

 I had two snowballs rolled and then I was pooped out.  

(old.age.setting.in)

  But as I'm building these 2 big snowballs I'm thinking,  

Snowmen.  Not one.  Not two.  But a yard full of snowmen. 

 Good advertising.   "Look at all those snowmen!"  "And the ear"  "Huh!  They must sell hearing aids here...  Let's stop and buy a hearing aid."

Then I thought.  But I can't even build one snowman yet alone a yard full of them. 

 Then the lightbulb!

I called my unemployed son and asked him 

if he wanted a job.

He worked hard into the night.  

I went out and helped him off and on.  It was bonding time for mother and son.  Today after church Gary and I visited the $1 Store and then put the finishing touches on the faceless mounds of snow.

And now, we have a dozen guests living in our front yard and they just might be here for a while....

Meet Perry the Party animal...

 Sammy Surprise...

Frosty's cousins...  Frank, Fred, Fergie and Freeman

 Susie Shivers

Agitated Allie

Bewildered Billy

Goofy Gil

Sonny Sunshine

Genuinely disgusted Gracie

I Guess Winter Has Arrived!

Dear Diary,  I wake.  I look out the window.  I dream of days gone by and long warm walks on warm summer nights.  I sleep.  I wake.  I go outside to pee.  I can't find a place to pee because there is white stuff up to my nose.  Mom moves some of the white stuff aside with a huge spoon.  I pee.  I sleep.  I wake...  *sigh*.  I sleep.  Gracie.

You're Calling Him WHAT?

Baby has a name.  Jasper.  I kicked and grumbled and opposed the parents choice of a name until I was out of breath.  Then I conceded and now...  

when I hear the name I see my tiny Christmas angel (Below)  

We can't wait for Jasper to come home from the hospital and be a part of the family.  But in the meantime his brother Jake is taking care of business.

Dear Diary,  I am not dead.  Just exhausted.  This new Christmas toy got the best of me and I am resting up.  Tomorrow, revenge!  Gracie.

White Christmas

MERRY white CHRISTMAS!

From our House to yours!

A NEW HOME?

Look what Santa Brought!  

He was delivered by emergency 

C-section at 3:45 AM this morning and weighs 5 lb. 7oz.  

Mommy and baby are doing well.

Welcome Grand-Angel #4

 (no name yet). 

Dear Santa,

If what I'm hearing is true, I would like a new home for Christmas.  The last 2 Cookie Carriers are not exactly Cockapoo friendly. Jake, the wild child, chases me and Summer the curious one, has this fascination with my ears that keeps me on edge when she's around.  Is it really true that you brought Jake the wild child a new baby brother?  SANTA!  WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!  Hey, maybe I could live with you? You get lots of cookies for Christmas, right?  Probably enough to last all year long, right?  You have reindeer that I could intimidate, lunge and bark at, right?  And Mrs. Claus likes little dogs like me, right?  Just an idea.  Your furrrend Gracie.

Gracie's Post ~ MOODS

Gumby is Mom's favorite toy.  When she says "Go get Gumby" I know just what she wants.  

Another favorite of Mom's is TOY.  She will toss TOY across the room and I will bring it right back to her.  I think she likes TOY and Gumby because they don't scream out in pain when I bite them with my teeth.

When I feel like making Mom happy, I bring her Gumby or TOY.

When I feel like wrestling, I pick out Wally the Alligator.  Wally has over 30 squeakers and can he make some noise!

Sometimes Wally wins, but mostly I shake the sense out of him.

Squeaky Blue ball makes enough noise to keep Mom and Dad both on their toes.  "Gracie must you?"  and "Gracie go lay down" are popular comments from them at this time.

When I'm in the mood for ice cream  I play with my ice cream cones.  They crinkle and squeak just a little. 

When the mailman goes through and I'd like to rip him to shreds but can't get to him...  I take it out on MAN.  He does scream!

This morning, after a surprise BATH and BLOW-DRY...  my toy of choice was ANGRY BIRD.  

How Can We Go On... We Just Do...

Friday morning I popped on facebook to see a status of:

What is wrong with this world? Shooting with deaths in elementary school???

Below this persons name it said: near Frostburg via mobile.

Now, even though I knew that the location was basically where the facebook friend was posting from... for a brief minute my heart dropped...   and I thought about Rissi in kindergarten at that moment.  I tried to find out more... but all I was hearing was kindergarten, shooting, and 20 deaths.

Finally, the story was playing out on the news and the location and facts were clearer.  Again, my heart dropped.  So many innocent children!  So many heros who sacrificed their own life to try and protect them!  So many lives shattered!

I cannot even try to imagine the pain...

All I can do is pray.

Yesterday was Rissi's Christmas dance recital.  Prayers were said.  Tears shed.  A lot of love in that auditorium yesterday.  I found myself wiping away tears with each performance.  What a blessing to be able to watch these children,  and to know... that by God's grace...  I was gifted another day with my own precious angels.  

Please!!  Do not stop praying for these families!!  This is all we can do to help them get through this.

And now...  the Love's of my Life...  (well, 2 of them)...  



Rissi was mostly the 3rd from the left...

 

Just One Of Those 12.12.12 Days

I guess it's only right that I take the time to post something.  

After all, it will never be 12.12.12 again.

What to talk about...

How about my Printer?

On 11.1.12 my HP bit the dust so I purchased a new printer from Staples right up the road from where we live.  It was a piece of junk!  A $160 piece of junk.  I tried to live with it...  but yesterday when it ate the cards I was working on..  Well, that was the last straw.   The window of 'return' was over so I could not get a refund.  I bought an Epson on Amazon for $69.  A much nicer printer, in my opinion.  But I'm still trying to connect my Mac to it... and can't.

I am in Printer frustration Mode right now!  BTW>  If you were unlucky enough to get a card from Gracie, it was because it was printed before the Brother ate the rest of the cards I was printing out.  Grrrrrrrrr.....

Today I got a whole lot of nothing accomplished.


Dear Diary,

Let me re-enact tonight's 'scene'.  
Mom walks in from what she calls work... only I know she's just over in the other side of the house probably watching soap operas and eating chicken.  Hmmph.  Anyway..   Not to get sidetracked.  Here we go:  
Mom:  Gracie, do you need to go out?
Me:  Yes!  Gosh I've had to go all afternoon.  I didn't think you'd ever get off your lazy   take a break from your hard work at the office to come over and let me out.
(This is where it gets good. The Nag Mom slips the harness around my neck then robotically opens the front door, ties me to the rope and sets me f-r-e-e baby!  JUST IN TIME!!  Grrrr RuffffffRUFFFruffRUFFGRRRRRR.  I ran as fast as I could and lunged at the annoying woman with her annoying german shepherd dog (both who I hate with a passion would love so much  to be friends with and MOM starts reeling me in... pulling on the rope...  spewing words like 'Gracie, come on!' 'You're breaking my hands' and her famous line 'What is your problem Gracie!!'  BUT to the intruder of my space she says'oh, I'm sorry...  I didn't see  you coming." Then she pulled me inside and took me out back.  AFTER the intruders were gone, I heard her telling Dad that every single time she lets me out that German Shepherd is right in that same spot and I make the exact same scene. If that's the case, then why doesn't she be just a little more observant and take note before setting me free.  She just has to make a big deal out of everything.  Geesh. Gracie.

C'mon dad.  Just one more bite.  I promise
I'll never intimidate another dog again.

Do You Have 8 Minutes?

Today was Summers Birthday.  One year!

Can you believe it?    If you have 8 minutes, Come along and share Summer's year in review...

"Happy Birthday lil' Buttercup"

You Just Have To > Go With It

You know>  

When your daughter is seeing a guy you  don't think is the right one for her...

And then.  Those two words...  
"Mom I'm..."

And you have to guess 
the third word...  "pregnant?"

And Then...  a few years later... Same guy.  Same two words...

And you understand.  God has it all under control.  And you give your cares, worries about the couple's financial state, and doubts over to the One who created it all.  Then the blessing.

Our precious #3 Grand-Angel will be 1-year old this Saturday!   

I couldn't love anyone more..    Happy Birthday Buttercup!

Summer Maci

Dear Diary,  

I don't know what all the fuss is about.  According to Mom, Buttercup took a total of 7 steps yesterday.  Whoop-de-do.  I take that many and more every day of my life and I do not hear applause or get an extra cookie or anything close.  All I get is a 'hurry and get in here gracie, I'm tired of waiting on you' or the popular quip 'Gracie, what is your problem?'.  And another thing.  What's with this kid and the wanting to pull my ears?  I have to keep an alligators length away ya know... just in case.  Gracie.