OK I guess I am cheap !

The reservations for New Years eve have been made, the doggy resort expecting Clancy and Clarissa .

Now it is time to pack and plan.Since there is a microwave and refrigerator in our room, I planned on cooking my customary Sauerkraut with pork and smoked sausage and mashed potatoes, packing them in Tupperware inside an ice chest and taking them with us. I also planned on making home made sausage gravy and baking some biscuits that can be heated in the microwave for breakfast new Years morning before we check out. I had it all figured out then Mike started looking closer at the site. It seems that there is a New Years eve buffet in the lobby of the resort. The food choices sound good and at first glance it looks as though it is included in the room price ( really it should be for what we are paying ) I held back my excitement as Mike called to ask. Sure enough it isn't but it is only thirty dollars per person extra. ( what is another hundred and fifty dollars right ? ) Mike sort of wavered to the lets just bring food side but told me it was my choice. I tried to justify it , I really did but we are already paying so much and we always eat the sauerkraut anyway. I was really trying to give the option a fair shot but just couldn't do it. Especially since the buffet closes at ten o' clock when the water park portion of the resort closes. So let me get this straight, you pay all this money for an indoor water park then you get there and pay more to eat which takes time away from using the water park which you payed so much for? OK maybe it all boils down to me being cheap but I don't think so ! So here is the Diane way..... We drop the dogs off and travel the three hours to the resort. We stop along the way at McDonald's for a couple dollar value menu double cheeseburgers ( which will be paid for by the McDonald's Gift Certificate that I purchased at Giant Eagle earning myself ten cents per gallon off of my next gas purchase). We get to the resort, check in , take our things to our suite, change into our swim wear, and enjoy the water park. At ten when the park closes we go back to our suite, change, heat up sauerkraut and potatoes, eat, and then go down to the dance party. After the balloons drop, we go back to the suite, sleep, and get up in time to eat the biscuits and gravy breakfast,( you gotta love the refrigerators and microwaves in the rooms)pack up check out of the room. spend a couple more hours in the water park, and head home, stopping at McDonald's on the way. Yes I guess I am cheap but sometimes that is just how it goes !

Today we Elfed ourselves

Though we may be a little late we finally found time to Elf ourselves take a look !

ElfYourself™ : Brought to you by OfficeMax®

Mike Clancy and Clarissa wanted elfed too !

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1847710702

My sister in law sent me the link to the elf yourself that she did of herself, my brother, and my Mom and Dad.Now this one is really funny.

ElfYourself™ : Brought to you by OfficeMax®

New Years eve plans

Our family has always had a rough time finding something to do on New Years eve. First off Mike and I married what some would consider young so our friends who were still all single were interested in going out for drinks when we were starting and raising a family. Though I have never seen a problem with having a drink or two, doing so is just something that I rarely did then and hardly ever do now.Another big drawback to going out has always been financial. Since Mike and I both held down low paying jobs when we were married a night out was simply not in the budget. When the kids were little , I spent most New Years eves home with the kids while Mike worked.As the kids started to get older and Mike had worked hard, took classes, and was blessed with better job opportunities we started looking at doing things on this evening. First we tried an adult club party. This was just not my idea of fun and we ended up leaving picking up the kids early and ringing in the new year at home.A couple years later I heard of a Family New Years eve party at a local Hotel/ banquet room. This was a family friendly event which served food, provided craft opportunities,had a DJ who did wonderful contests, and provided a great time. The best part was that they also provided a hotel room with the hotel pool open until three AM. Though this party was expensive, we were able to fit it into our budget . The problem was that it also appealed to others and booked early. I tried for a few years before I was able to get us in. For years we went and had a great time. We had found our thing and even made friends there. The problem though was that last year a group of people with very small children came in. Because they booked many rooms, the hotel manager decided to cater to them. Where seats were supposed to be first come first served, the manager agreed to give these people all of the tables surrounding the dance floor. These people made the dance floor a play place for their small children making it impossible for anyone else to dance or do activities without stepping on these children. The DJ asked that they be removed to no avail . Many of the guests talked to management but got no results. Many of us decided that it was not worth the money we were paying any more and didn't renew our reservations. So here we are again , at the beginning. Where to go what to do? I had looked around a bit but didn't nail anything down. Since we had puppies we didn't want to have to pay per dog boarding so an overnighter was out. Mike and I had options at the comedy club which we go to a lot but that didn't include the family. the kids had friends offers but nothing fit us perfectly. Until now since the puppies have all left for their new homes, we have decided to do an overnighter at an indoor water park. Mike and the kids have wanted to do this for awhile but we just never did. The price tag is steep ( double what our old New Years eve spot was) and then you have to buy your own food, drinks and stuff but we are going to try it out. Who knows this may be a new tradition.

You finally have to admit that you belong to a family of rednecks when....

You are having your Christmas get together at your parents house with your siblings and their families , Dad and Mom bring out gifts for the grandchildren, the younger grandsons rip into theirs, shriek with joy and look up with grins from ear to ear holding pellet guns. The older grandson then rips his package open to reveal ammunition , targets, and a new cleaning kit for his collection of guns.

( Thanks Mom and Dad, you couldn't have selected gifts that they would like more !)

I guess sometimes we just have to be proud to be who we are !

By the way

The grand daughter's gifts , stuffed neck massaging animals, huge sets of bubble bath, shower gel, lotion , powder, candles, bath poofs,and everything else that was in those giant package, were also perfect .

Merry Christmas all !

Well, we went to Midnight mass as a family and after stopping at Sheetz for free coffee, hot chocolate, cappuccino or tea, we came home to a warm house. We opened the gifts that the kids had gotten for all and then it was off to bed and waiting for Santa. Sure enough he came. This morning I baked the bread for dinner while we opened gifts. Today is going so much better than yesterday. Thank you all who prayed for us, Thank you Dad who spent his whole day helping, to Mom who is preparing the dinner that I was supposed to , to the furnace man who helped us more than he will probably ever know without using our poor situation to make a large profit. to those who understood when we had to change plans, and especially to Mike and the kids.

Merry Christmas all !

Please keep praying

I am typing while wearing my husbands coat with the sleeves hitting the keys so I will try to keep this short.We got a new hot water heater and they were installing it when the house started getting cold. Now my furnace isn't working. I am not sure if it is related or not but the hot water heater pilot will not light either. ( yes I paid the gas bill and the stove works)Dad has been here all day, I have canceled my company who were supposed to come over tonight for which I feel terrible but I had no choice. My Mom has agreed to cook dinner tomorrow so I have to gather up all the groceries that I bought and send them over to her with Dad . I am so discouraged right now but there is nothing I can do. I found a furnace repair service that will send someone out for one hundred and eighty five dollars an hour but Mike said that they will probably have to order a part and would not be able to fix it anyway. Mike said we could spend the night at a local hotel and Dad has offered for us to stay with him and Mom which is very nice but what about Christmas? I guess I need to calm down and do what I have to but I am having a tough time at it. Please keep praying for us.

Update

Dad just left with the groceries for tomorrows dinner and Michael. Thank You a million times to the furnace repair man from Ainsley Heating. He got Mike's message earlier and called Mike back ( at no charge) and talked Mike through some things. It seems that we have a bad switch of some sort that will have to be ordered Wednesday. ( Glad we weren't charged $200 dollars to hear this) This angel of a man also told Mike how he can manually keep the furnace cycling until Wednesday when he will order us the part and not charge us extra to install it. As for the hot water, The eight hundred number person told us that the ignitor is probably bad and they will be glad to honor the warranty on Wednesday. They would exchange it if we unhooked it and took it back but oops they close in fifteen minutes.... Sorry.Oh well since Mom is cooking dinner I guess I can live without hot water. I will heat some on the stove so we can all still clean up and get to Midnight mass.

Update again

Mike just told me he was able to ignite the water heater, wow could Christmas be saved after all ? With God it sure can ! Thanks for the prayers :-)

Requesting a prayer for my sanity

Things were really starting to come together. Mike and I finished shopping for Christmas dinner. I was in the process of making the last batch of Christmas cookies. Cindy was busy helping get the laundry done, and Mike and the boys were helping in any way that I found the need. I was getting all excited and then I asked Mike to go to the basement and retrieve some things for me. He went and found that my hot watter tank was leaking badly and flooding my basement. The clothes that Cindy had sorted to be washed, those in baskets that were done, and everything was soaked. I had to stop the mixer turn off the oven and head to the laundry mat with garbage bags full of soaking wet clothes. Meanwhile, my wonderful father dropped everything ,as he has done so many times for me ( Thanks Dad I love you !) and came over with his truck. He and Mike went to Sears where Mike bought a new hot water tank and came home. This is the point where they realized that they needed some "hardware" to install the new one. Home depot and Lowe's were both closed so Dad vowed to be back in the morning and Mike is getting up at six to get what they need. Please pray that they are able to get it fixed quickly as I am expecting company in the afternoon tomorrow and for dinner Christmas day and sort of need water. Please also add a little prayer for my sanity that is just about shot.

So far behind I feel ahead

There have had a couple thoughts for post going through my head today . As a matter of fact I even started to write one but decided not to publish it because it didn't reflect what I want this blog to. The truth is that I am so far behind that I can't imagine ever being ready for Christmas in just a few short days. Sure my shopping has been done for awhile, but nothing had been wrapped before today. Wrapping I did get done today in between yelling at the kids to get their chores done,feeding the family, going to five o'clock mass and realizing that the family ordainment that represented our family on the Parish Christmas tree was missing. ( yes I mean missing.It was there last year and was supposedly packed away with all of the other families but wasn't there today when the kids decided to look for it , on the tree, before mass.)Because we are not represented on the tree , the kids took it personally . In an attempt to diffuse the whole thing Mike and I went to the mall ( where I have not been since early November) in hopes that the same company who were in the mall four years ago was there this year. Thanks be to God, it was.We purchased a replacement ordainment and were on our way. I got home ready to commence wrapping when Cindy told me that the ordainment which I just bought was broken. Sure enough she was right. We got back in the car and off to the mall again. Thankfully the people replaced it without hassle.Anyway, back home we came and wrapping I worked on. I just finished and though I have cookies to bake and Christmas dinner to plan, I am calling it a night.I will be sure to say a prayer for all of you before I drift off though I am sure that i am the only one this far behind.

And then there were none !

Though Clancy and Clarissa are here to stay, we are now puppyless. I am not sure that this is an actual word but no doubt it gets the point across . All of Clancy and Clarissa's puppies have moved to their new homes.
Yesterday morning I got a call from a sweet young man looking for a puppy. He had to go to work soon after he called but asked that I hold our last bundle of furry joy until this morning when he could come and take him home. Agreeing was no problem as we have not had any interest in over a week. I agreed and went on with my business. Five minutes later, the phone rang again. Guess who? A woman wanting a puppy. Cindy told her that she was unsure if one was available or not and took a number.Then at about nine thirty last night another call came in. Mike took it and told the lady that we would call her back today if the dog didn't sell. Again, this morning a man left a message that he was looking. Isn't it amazing how you try and try to accomplish something,be it sell puppies , find a job, or whatever it may be. You try and try and sometimes get discouraged. It seems like all of your efforts are getting you nowhere and then, Wow, out of nowhere your prayers are answered with many calls, many job offers, or whatever.It is like God has said, OK now !
Anyway, Ignatius went to live in Niles with a young couple, twin girls, and a baby boy to protect and love. The kids( OK Mike and I too ) are all pretty sad to see this sweet puppy go but as I stated before, a third dog is just not in our best interest right now.
Farewell Iggy, you have left a permanent paw print on our hearts. Enjoy your new home. We love you !

Prayers Please

Please pray for Cindy's friend Shawnna. She was taken to the ER last night and admitted to the hospital. However, Doctors are still unsure what is causing her problem. To respect her privacy, I will not go into detail but I will say that this girl and her family have had way more than their share of problems lately and can surely use our prayers.

Update

A call during class this morning not only sent the substitute teacher into the tiniest of fits, it also informed us that Shawnna simply had a nasty intestinal virus. Two days worth of tests have shown that surgery is not necessary and that she should be able to go home tomorrow morning. Thanks for all of the prayers.

1st. Snow day

As we went to bed last night schools were already starting to be called off. Unfortunately ours were not in the mix. They were still not called off at five this morning when I got up to get Mike ready for work. But at six o'clock Robby's called off then shortly after we got an automated call from Cindy's school that they were canceling. Since Michael's school goes by Cindy's school's schedule they were all off. I waited for Mike's call that he was at work safely and then returned to bed. I should have started baking or cleaning or something but I didn't ( no wonder I am so far behind !)Now I am up and planning to run an errand or two before taking Cindy to work, then I think I may mix up a batch of chocolate chip cookies and see how that goes. You just never know maybe chocolate chip will lead to PB kisses and sugar cookies. Maybe I should pick up some M&Ms too.Oh if only it were this easy.

Thank God for kids

After coming home last night exhausted from the trip I had no problem going to sleep, however the getting up part was a little tricky this morning. I am so far behind on Christmas preparations, I am starting to think I am ahead. Until this afternoon, I didn't even have our Christmas tree up. Thanks to the kids that is now done and I have to start thinking about baking cookies. wrapping gifts, and planning Christmas dinner. Mike and I have already agreed not to bother decorating the outside of the house this year.In addition to helping putting up and decorating the tree this afternoon Michael ran the snow blower through the driveway again, Cindy did some household chores that have been neglected and Robby gathered up the trash for tomorrows collection as well as a few other jobs. This made things a lot easier for me and even allotted time for me to run to McDonalds for the Chicken McNugget sale for dinner. What tomorrow holds, I don't know but hopefully it will get me a bit closer to where I need to be. Luckily I have these three wonderful kids to help get me there.

Great to be home !

We left for the Ohio State campus this morning at seven thirty. It was chilly but not as cold as many December mornings in Ohio can be. There was not a flake of snow in sight as we headed to Robby's karate clinic. The weather stayed pretty much the same until we arrived. As we parked in the parking deck a few yards from the building which the event was held in it began to snow. Not the pretty little fluffy snow flakes, mind you, but heavy packing snow in the biggest flakes that I have ever seen. We got into the gym without much ado. We arrived before Sensei Okazaki so Robby had plenty of time to change and stretch. When Sensei Okazaki arrived, Michael and Robby asked him to sign their books, so that we could leave after the clinic and not have to wait until he was done with the black belt tests. This was a good move as the snow did not let up at all from when we got there. It fell so hard and fast that crews could not even start to clear the roads. We were lucky to be able to drive forty five MPH on the freeway where we usually drive seventy to seventy five. We just got home and I have never been so glad to see this place .All in all the clinic went well. Robby did well with it even though he was the lowest rank there. There were a couple people one belt ahead of him ( green belts) who couldn't handle more than half of the ninety minute clinic. They called it quits and left about half way through. I took a bunch of pictures but have narrowed it down to just a few.

By the way As I type this Mike and Michael are using the new snow thrower to clean our driveway. It is nice to see them so enthusiastic to do yard work !

Robby and Michael look on as Sensei Okazaki autographs their books
Robby is the only one with the orange belt. He is all alone between the back row and the next to the back row because his legs are short and his steps are only half of every one else's



Robby is the last in line up to bow out

A turn of events

For years before Robby joined karate, he has been dragged along to Michael's karate class, tournaments, and testings. He has always taken it in stride ,being happy to set and watch, bringing along his game boy, some gummy snacks and a juice box. Even since his joining of karate he has seen his share of bench time watching his big brother. Now however, the tables have turned. Robby has been doing pretty well in karate lately and is very proud of his orange belt. He has also been putting in more effort than most in his class. In an effort to reward this effort, Mike and I have decided to en role him in a clinic that is coming up on Saturday on the Ohio State campus.This clinic is given by no other that Master Sensei Teruyuki Okazaki, who brought Shoto kan to the United States. Sensei Okazaki is the one who tested Michael for his black belt a couple years ago and usually only does one clinic a year in the area before he does yearly black belt testing. Training under Sensei Okazaki is a privilege as Sensei Okazaki was a student of Gitchen Funacoshi , the man who started Shoto kan karate in Okinawa many years ago.Mike and I as well as Robby and Michael's Sensei all feel that Robby is ready to attend this clinic. He will surely be tired after but we think the training will be good for him. At the end he and Michael will both be rewarded with having their copy of Sensei Okazaki's book , http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978576322/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top signed.

Unfortunately,due to doctor's orders , Michael is still not back in karate so he will not be allowed to participate in this clinic . Hopefully by next year he will be testing for his next black belt but for now he gets to set and watch. I think we will leave his game boy home though !

Ever feel like God is giving you a pep talk?

Maybe this sounds odd but have you ever been in the middle of something unpleasant? Maybe a task that needs to be done, a painful medical procedure,being in a car when you have to go to the bathroom or something like this? Now stay with me. In this situation have you ever had a thought like" hang in there your almost done" or better yet something like Your doing good ( your name) keep it up ? Oh please tell me that I am not psychotic. This has happened to you hasn't it ? It has me so many times that I can not count. Most of the time I have thought of it as giving myself a pep talk but this afternoon it felt different. I found myself lost in thought, actually lost in worry. As much as I hate to admit it, I got my dad's worry gene. Nothing particular was going wrong but there has been so much stress in my life lately it seems to have worn my optimistic attitude down a bit. I felt the feeling was coming over me and said a prayer. At this point I should have busied myself but instead I found myself just setting there thinking. As I thought , the worries that I had cast aside in prayer came crawling back. Then out of nowhere I heard myself say" It will all work out Diane" hearing my own voice in the silence almost startled me. Now if I was giving myself a pep talk I wouldn't be startled would I ? I don't think so. I was totally surprised by this. It had to come from God, I can just feel it. Even if I am psychotic, knowing that God told me that it will all work out is a great feeling of relief

So close, Please send a prayer

In many previous posts I have mentioned each of our beautiful cocker spaniel puppies both while they were here and each as they left for their new families. As I mentioned before, so far all have gone to great homes that fit their individual needs. We had no say in which family picked which one but God seemed to work it out as Isabella , now named Maggy, went first to a retired couple with a beautiful house and yard where she is queen. Masamora , the gentle runt, went to a young couple with a four year old son to cuddle with and love . Nelly, The Clancy look a like with his attitude, now resides with a doctor and is the center of attention. This leaves Ignacius, he has seen the rest go and though this may have been unsettling for him, he has been comforted by our kids who have showered him with attention. My prayer lately has been that he also finds his perfect home. Don't get me wrong, it wouldn't be so bad to keep him, but a third dog is just not in our best interest right now. We have not even put up a Christmas tree because the whelping box , which now serves as a puppy pen ( even though he can get out of it he will stay if firmly commanded to ) is where the Christmas tree goes.
Last night during supper we got a call from a woman who may be interested in him. For whatever reason she couldn't come see him until today and couldn't come this afternoon either. It had to be this morning.I am nervous at having someone come while I am home alone and more nervous about selling our last puppy by myself. This may not make sense to many but when the kids are here I can't cry, knowing that I have to be strong and let them know that this is the right thing to do. Also, I sort of question whether this woman will actually show up.( just a gut feeling )
Please, after all my rambling, please pray that if this woman and her family are right for Iggy, that she shows up and purchases him. If she doesn't I will know that it is not right. In this case please pray that his new family surfaces soon. Thank you all so much !

UPDATE
The lady showed up like planned but left alone. She expressed to me that she really wished for a buff Cocker spaniel, or dog that didn't shed much. Ignatius didn't seem to feel a connection with her either.She said that she had to think about it but I highly doubt that she will return. Before she left I suggested that she look more into the Cocker spaniel breed before making a decision. Please continue to pray for the right family for Iggy. Thanks to all !


After some honest thinking and talking to Mike at work to make sure he agrees with my gut feeling we have decided not to sell Ignacius to this woman even if she does return. Her children are in our opinion too young for such an energetic pup. My hope is that she will realize this also and not contact us again. After Mike and I decided this he called me back about an hour later. It seems that a lady whom works where Mike does has a father in law of retirement age who is looking. Mike has a good feeling about this but we will have to see what God thinks. Back to prayer . It is the only way I can truly find peace and contentment in placing Iggy.

Isn't that how it goes?

Last week we got some snow. It started mid week , added a bit more everyday and finished up on Friday with a couple more inches. Friday early afternoon as the neighbors were clearing their drives , I thought about mine. Mike has had major back problems for a couple years since his car was hit by a drunk driver two years ago, Michael covered for him last year but he is not even two months out of his casts from his foot surgery and slipping on ice could cause irreparable damage to his bone graphs. That leaves Cindy, Robby , and me. Cindy works four days a week after a half day of school so it is usually dark when she gets home let alone that she is tired and has homework and a few chores to do. Robby is really too young to do it all and besides since he has had many breathing problems it just isn't a good idea. That leaves me. I can think of a million reasons why I can't do it but it all pretty much boils down to not really wanting to. Besides, are we not living in the year 2007? Shouldn't we have a snow thrower anyway? Just what I thought ! So when Mike came home I asked his opinion. he agreed with me so after dinner we went to Kmart ( who is now owned by Sears and sells Craftsman brand) They had three there but were unable to give us any info on them.We drove to Sears and boy were we glad. They had the same snow thrower there only on sale for fifty dollars less than the K Mart price. As if this wasn't good enough, they had another model with all of the same power and options only a two inch shorter deck for one hundred and fifty less than the K mart price. This had us sold but it got even sweeter. Sears was running a ten percent off your total purchase sale which subtracted another fifty five dollars off the bill. I was thrilled but being who I am I had to sweeten the deal just a bit more so we went to Giant Eagle where we bought gift cards to pay for it. Doing this will save me two dollars and twenty cents per gallon off my next gas fill up at Giant Eagle's gas station. Now adding that made the deal sweet !

So we bought the snow thrower and brought it home. It was late and dark by then so we didn't take it out until Saturday morning. Wouldn't you know that Saturday showed no snow but rain that melted all of the accumulated snow. Now I am ready for the next snow fall but wondering if it will ever come. I am sure it will eventually as snow is an Ohio tradition, but sometimes that is just how things work out !

Something fun for kids

Clean Home Journal™ has a link where you can design a snow globe, add personalization, and Email it to friends.

Merry Christmas !

Though we have barely begun Advent,I have been receiving E mail after E mail on how people are already fed up with people wishing them " Happy Holiday's" and not "Merry Christmas" In these E mails these people are very angry and feel that others are maliciously trying to disrespect Christ by not wishing a Merry Christmas .

Though I am sure that there are some that are trying to show disrespect toward Jesus, I wonder if the majority are or if they are just trying to cover their bases. This would never have crossed my mind a few years back as I always lived in a primary Catholic/ Christian neighborhood. Now, however my family lives in a more religiously diverse suburb. Believe it or not, it is a much better neighborhood than before just diverse. I now have friends and neighbors that are Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, American Indian, Jehovah Whiteness, and a few other faiths as well . Because of this there are a lot of Holidays happening at this time of year. I can understand where a clerk at the store would just say Happy Holidays .

Are we as a society that paranoid of our neighbor that we always have to feel that they are putting down our beliefs? It sure seems to me that we are. Now I can agree that the use of the term X-mas is offensive and I would be sure to offer anyone wishing me a Merry X- mas a Merry Christmas.

I hesitate to publish this post because I know that I will get E mails from those who feel that converting the world to their faith is the right thing to do. I personally do not. I respect the freedom of others to believe what they wish.

In closing I would like to wish everyone the best of whatever holiday they choose to celebrate as well as a Merry Christmas ,because I choose to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ !

Let the Baking begin !

The big blue truck pulled up at almost nine o'clock this morning. Yes..... my waiting was done.

My oven started acting up and I put this new one in Lay-A-way back in July. A self cleaning cycle cleared the gas pipes in the old and helped it to heat a little faster, but still not as fast as I would have liked. A couple weeks later the right front burner quit working. Cooking the daily meals with only one front burner was the pits. Saturday after the gas lines were updated and I scheduled delivery, the burner mysteriously started working. Not entirely working as the ignitor still refused to work but it could be lit with a lighter and used. I suspect that all of this was this old oven's way of trying to stay , knowing that it was on it's way out. Probably when I had ten batches of cookies needing baked or worse yet on Christmas morning when I had dinner for ten to cook. I couldn't chance it. The nice men took the old oven with them without mentioning it's fate. Perhaps it will be used for parts or maybe end up in a scrap yard where it could spend it's last days with other old appliances. Either way,at the risk of making myself appear insensitive , I am just happy to know that I can now do some Christmas baking and plan a Christmas dinner without worrying that I might have to waste everything because I have no way to bake or cook it. Sorry but A Crock Pot Christmas just isn't our style.

Isn't she beautiful !

And then there was one !

Our last buff female puppy, Nelly, left for her home with an area doctor last night. Now only Ignacius remains . It seems that just when you least expect a call from someone looking for a puppy, you get one. I was out running errands when Mike called from his cell phone on his way home from work. As I pulled in my drive my cell phone started beeping. It was my call waiting ( never used it before) and Michael . Seems a guy was wanting to come see the puppies. Since Mike was stopping to pick Cindy up from work on his way home it was on me to show the puppies and run off the sale contract. All went well and Mike and Cindy even got home in time to say good bye. Poor Ignacius , being all alone has been the recipient of quite a bit of attention. Cindy even took him into her bed last night as she was afraid that he would get cold. Thank you all for the prayers that found Nelly a good home even though there are four other litters listed in the newspaper. Please keep praying that Ignatius is as lucky.

Farewell Nelly, We will always love you !

To the customer service rep at my insurance company

Dear Sir,

I apologise if I hurt your feelings this morning when I was not satisfied with your "it's not covered" and asked to speak to your supervisor. I do realize that your supervisor has told you to tell people like me that he will tell me the same thing that you did so that he doesn't have to deal with people like me.Before you take offence, though maybe you should know who I am and why I am not willing to accept your answer.
I am the Mom of four children, three of whom are alive.My precious daughter now resides with Jesus .Why did she die? you ask. Unfortunately, I can not answer that. The autopsy didn't show a cause of death. All that I know is that I was a couple months pregnant and felt that something was not right. I called my Obstetrician's office who got me in to see him quickly.My doctor examined me, found my babies heartbeat and told me that he could not find anything wrong. There , of course, were tests that could have been done including an ultrasound that could have identified the problem,but none were ordered. Why? you ask. Because your company had decided that "in most cases" these tests were not needed this early. In an attempt to stay in business my doctor conformed to your companies policies and made me wait until the appropriate time for an ultrasound. I had no choice but to wait. Unfortunately when the appropriate time came, the ultrasound did in fact show a problem. My daughter no longer had a heartbeat. It was too late to do anything but induce labor . My daughter was gone !

The next time that i was expecting, my doctor labeled me high risk which allowed him to care for me and my baby a little better. Though there were problems with this pregnancy too, my doctor monitored me through ultrasound and other tests. It all went pretty well until my son was born six weeks premature. Again, Mr. customer service Representative, your company wanted to put a cap on what tests could and could not be run. Four or five doctors had their hands tied as my son struggled to breathe and was unable to get any nourishment from the little bit that he was actually able to eat and keep down. Sure, you allowed a test or two, but drug your feet at OK- ing the next test when the first came back negative. This took valuable time that could have meant the difference between life and death for my baby. I learnt quick not to waste my time debating approvals with people in your position. It is nothing personal, you may be a great person who goes to church regularly and helps the poor, but understand, I just couldn't accept your denial and let my son die.

Now that this son whom I speak of is eleven, due to my pestering your company's employees all the way up to the CEO if necessary to find what his problems were and treat him, don't even think for a minute that I will give up now. You see, I have been hung up on, treated rudely, even cursed out,but you know what? It was worth it to be able to see my son receive his orange belt in karate or sing at his fifth grade chorus concert. There is nothing that you or anyone else can say or do to make me give up. So please understand, when I insist that you connect me to someone who can connect me to someone, who can connect me to someone, who can connect me to someone, who may be able to help me to get the medical test or medication that any of my children need in order to insure that I never loose another child. Please understand that I mean no rudeness to you , but it is just something that this mother has to do. Honestly it would be better for both of us if you didn't take it personally and agreed to transfer me to your supervisor . Wishing me a good day would be nice too. Honestly, I understand that your job can be difficult but so can being the Mom of a kid in need of medical tests that your company feels are " not usually necessary" I pray that you never truly know how I feel !

Advent is here and things are coming together.

Though the house is still not decorated and two puppies still remain ( check them out in the Christmas card photo from the last post. I think they were asking Santa for a forever home) and we have even had a little SNAFU( situation normal all filed up ) with the Christmas shopping (WE were done shopping and one gift that we bought for each of the boys went on sale for eighty dollars less than we paid. Of course being the bargain hunter I am, after Mike looked them over and confirmed that they were the same, I bought them planning to return the pricier ones. Because of this my numbers were off and I had to spend eighty dollars more on each boy. I got this done and again felt relieved that I was done. Last night however, after claiming my doneness at my Mother-In Law's church's Woman's luncheon ( Thanks again Linda) I decided that it was time to take the more expensive items back. I asked Mike to put them in my car , which he immediately went to do ( Bless his heart). The problem occurred when he called me to the garage. Diane, he said when I got there, these are not________ like the more expensive ones. OK I said we will return the others, which we did. The problem now is that since I bought more for the boys now Cindy's numbers are low.Luckily she is my easiest to buy for and after a quick trip out, she is almost done again.)

My biggest most happiest accomplishment, though is that while I was at the luncheon Mike had a plumber come in and upgrade the gas line for my new stove. It was all done when I got home and all I had to do was call and set up a delivery date. This too had it's snag as Robby has a dentist appointment Monday, and Cindy needs a ride from school to work everyday but Thursday. As God would work out, there was an opening on the truck on Thursday ! So Thursday night I can start my baking. Now my prayer is that God finds our two little puppies good homes before Christmas. Anyone who would like to join me in sending a prayer up would be appreciated. I will be sure to send one up for a blessed start of advent for all of you too !

It may not be perfect but it's this years Christmas card photo. Courtesy of Pets Mart.