Fostering Lizzy

While we were volunteering yesterday we dropped off an application to foster a dog or puppy.  The Humane Society of Williamson County took in 55 dogs and puppies today from a place in Brownwood, TX.  I think they came from a shelter where they were about to be euthanized.  We got there with our pet carrier at 3pm, and were ready to take one of these precious pups home to foster.  We were ushered to a room FULL of sweet dogs and puppies, I held back tears....it was incredibly sad.  Pregnant dogs, puppies, Mama's and her puppies, matted, filthy and mistreated dogs  & all terrified.  We were quick to choose Lizzy, and get the heck out of that room before I boo-hoo'd!

We have brought sweet Lizzy home for 2 weeks.  We will give her as much TLC as we possibly can, in hopes that she will be a sweet girl that everyone will want to adopt when she is ready to go back to shelter and find her forever home.  We are just doing a tiny, tiny part in this rescue.  The people that work out at the shelter full time, and do this everyday are the real heroes!  I am so thankful that they do.  All of these precious animals deserve so much better than the cards they were dealt.  Hopefully our little part will give Lizzy, and all the other 54 dogs a chance a a better hand!

Jane

We are volunteers

Today was our first official day to volunteer at the humane society.  We (Cannon, Neey & I, along with my friend Jenny & her son Cameron) were signed up for 4-5pm "poop and water duty".  We got there at 3:30pm, and we brought donations of dog food, bleach & dish soap.  I figured if we had donations in hand that someone would be more willing LOVE to show us the ropes....I was right!  They saw us with our hands full things they covet, and we were able to ask them where to put our donations, then we went right into our "poop and water duty".  We took our scoops and cleaned the poop out of all of the pens, then we gave everyone fresh water.  Of course we loved on the dogs as we were working.  After we were finished with our official duty we were asked to help bring the outside dogs in for the night (since it will get into the 30's tonight), and we fed the dogs that got a second feeding.  After we were finished with our unofficial duty we loved on some pups, and I do mean we LOVED ON SOME PUPS....Anna, Kiki and Rose stole our hearts today, but there are SO MANY sweet babies that need homes.  It really breaks my heart, and makes me want to bring them all home!  Les told me I couldn't volunteer there anymore :)...he was kidding (kind-of).

I was really proud of the kids.  They worked hard, and never complained.  It was not an easy job, but definitely a rewarding one.  These sweet dogs all just want to be loved!  They all deserved a warm bed to sleep in, food in their bellies and to be loved.  They don't ask for anything more, and they GIVE SO MUCH!  We sure do love our pups, and they bring so much happiness to our lives.

Be a hero.....ADOPT!

Jane

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Last night I was downstairs cooking when I heard the cry that always makes me cringe....the REAL Mccoy, I'm hurt CRY!  Neely came running down the stairs blood coming out of her mouth and screaming.  I ran and grabbed her and opened her mouth to survey the damage.....Thank God it was not a permanant tooth, THANK GOD!  She did knock a tooth silly though, and it pretty much bled the rest of the evening.  It is sticking out a little, and it has GOT TO BE sore!  I am pretty sure that her bed got it worse than her.  I went upstairs to see exactly what attacked her tooth, and found a huge chunk out of the wood in her bed...in a very odd place!  She is very lucky that that is all that happend.  I can't believe it wasn't worse than it was, she must have really hit it HARD!

This is why Mom's say "no jumping on the bed", that is exactly what she was doing!!

it's hard to tell, but the tooth is kind-of sticking out now...all I see in this pic though is extremely dry lips!  Aquaphor will be applied to these lips pronto!

 this is the face I got when I was singing "no more monkeys jumping on the bed" to her

the bed's boo-boo!

Monkey! 



Jane

Pugopoly

Last night we played a friendly game of "Pugopoly".  The kids got it for me for Christmas, and have been begging me to play...I finally caved.  We had a lot of fun, AND it's a great tool for teaching about counting money!



After we played we loved on pugs (OK, part pugs)



Jane

Austin (Half) Marathon 2012

Today was our second time to run the Austin Half Marathon, third year in all (remember we did the full marathon in 2010).  The hills were killer, as usual, but it was a lot of fun, and I had a really good run.  The weather was absolutely perfect, and after feeling so bad at the race in October it was nice to know I "still had it".  CA & Jason were here for the "fun", they have both been fighting upper respiratory infections, so it probably wasn't as fun for them....but they pulled through!

CA & Jason at the Expo, AWESOME shirts this year, which is very important :).

packet pickup, we were a little disappointed with the swag this year, but it was a good Expo, and we bought some pretty sweet gear!

We had to take Hutchie to the VERY CROWDED Expo....that was fun, and the reason there are very few pictures!

 the map of the very tough and hilly course

approximately 5:20am, headed downtown...

 three crazy people

 downtown, lined up for the race

AND 13.1 miles and 2 hours and 22 seconds later!  Glad it's over, and so glad that my sis and I are able to do this together!!

It's odd, we don't have anything on the radar except for a 10K in March.  Guess I'll just enjoy carefree running for a while.

Jane

Jumpstreet

A while back I bought a Groupon for Jumpstreet.  2 hours jumping, 4 fun passes, 4 kids, $35...SOLD!  It is usually $20++ a piece to jump for 1 hour,  $4 extra per child to do the bull and the slide (which they call the "fun pass").  Hill Country had a teacher in-service day today (public school was in school) so it was a great day to go. Cannon & Neely chose to take a few friends from school, Presley & Caden (siblings too).  We invited them to meet us up there from 10-12, they had a blast!  Hutch was only $4 to jump "all day", Hutch and I may have a little secret date to Jumpstreet on a Friday morning again sometime.  It would have to be super secret because C & N would be heartbroken to know we went without them, but $4 to wear my boy out is worth a little secret keeping!

Happy Friday!

Jane

Happy Valentine's & swollen tonsil (yes, just one)

Happy Valentine's Day!  It was a pretty regular old day, except I woke up to find these beauties in the kitchen with a sweet card from my hubby.

The kids had V-day parties at school, and we all had a terribly romantic taco dinner tonight over a little math and reading....oh and then we walked the dogs. The kids had fun at their parties, and the chocolate covered strawberry cream peeps were THE BOMB!  That is the reason I will look forward to V-day next year! 

After dinner and homework I was working with Neely on her speech meet selection.  She was being silly and making faces at me, and I noticed something big and red in the back of her throat.......

Her left tonsil is HUGE!!!!  It is so swollen it is touching her uvula.  Yes, I just used the word uvula in my blog (it's official, no topics are off limits).  Anywho, I am a little freaked out.  She says her throat does not hurt, and she has not been sick.  I have a call into my favorite cousin, Nancy, who happens to see kids tonsils all day....she is a pediatric dentist.  Hopefully she can shed some light on this thing growing out of the left side of Neely's throat.  She will definitely be going to the doctor tomorrow...and by the sounds and snots coming out of Hutch tonight we will try to get a 2 for 1 visit. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Jane

sleet & new bedding

As we were leaving Oasis yesterday it started sleeting pretty hard.  The kids were SO EXCITED.  In Texas we get "excited" if the sky spits anything in the frozen form.  When we got home the kids danced around outside, trying to catch a little ice on their tongues.  So cute.  Hutch went and got a net (I'm not sure why he picked out a net, but I didn't argue) and a bucket, and was determined to play outside in the freezing wet mush!

To you it's just some silly sleet, to Neely is was an answered prayer :).  Yes, I'm serious!

When they were finished with the freezing rain, we put Neely's new duvet and pillows on her bed.  She wanted all zebra print, and she was VERY happy with the results.  Now her bedroom and bathroom are all black & white zebra.  LuLu likes it too!

I ordered three of the pillow and my Mom ordered the other three.  We didn't trade notes on what we were getting, and they turned out to all match so well.  Great minds :).

This morning there was one last thing I needed to do.......

She will be so excited about the chandelier decal!  It turned out pretty cute for stickers on a wall.

She hung this up on her wall yesterday, I had given it to her yesterday.  She truly is a joy!


She loves her "new room".  We still have a few things we want to do (she wants all the "babyish" stuff OUT), but it is starting to look very cute....and very tweenish.  She's 8 now, so I guess it was time.

Jane