A View of Pru!



Adopting Rumor Star aka Prudence!



Snuggling with Madeline!





Binkie Time!





Playing with Lainey!




Prudence is the new Pink!





Punk Rockin Pru!



Stretching Out!



I'm a Lucky Dog!!





You Say It's Your Birthday, Really??

November, a favorite month of mine.  I love the beautifully colored leaves, the cooler weather and Thanksgiving!  Something else special happens this month, my mom's birthday.  Most of all our birthdays are clumped together so it is easy to remember them all.  Papaw, Terry Bruce, Robbie Lee, Dallas's grandma, his mom, dad and one of his sisters and of course, my birthday, all are in September.  Then we have the March/April grouping of birthdays, Madeline, Lainey, Memaw and Jeremy, along with 3 special  anniversary's in May, The rest are spread out throughout the remaining months, and all are fairly easy to remember, except mom's!! 

I think we always forgot her birthday because of all the excitement of Thanksgiving, then, of course, Black Friday, which reminds us that Christmas is just around the corner!!  Who's house are we going to for Thanksgiving and Christmas?  Does Jeremy get to come down?  When are we putting up the tree?  Who are we getting gifts for?  What are we getting for everyone?  Damn, tax bill, really, before Christmas??  Charlie Brown, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is coming to town, A Christmas Story and many other favorites, on TV for our viewing pleasure, all that on top of our daily hectic lives.  No wonder we forget Momma Alice's birthday every year!! Yes, they are all excuses, lame, but excuses none the less.  The truth is, we all remember her birthday now and have for awhile, but it is sooo much fun aggravating her, so we keep up the facade!!  So, Happy Birthday Mom!! (November 16th 19??)  Thank you Memaw for birthing Alice so that she could go on and birth Jeremy and I!! Love you!!

Okay, Okay!!  So, Maybe some of us still forget, but it doesn't mean we don't love you!!

Nieces and Nephews are sorta like Grandkids!





Lainey and Owen



I'm sure everyone has heard the saying, "If I knew grand kids were this much fun, I would have had them first!"  And/or, "Grand kids, you can spoil them and sent them home!"  Well, it has come to my attention that this is also true for nieces and nephews!  My sister-in-law, Sarah, beautiful name, and her family stayed with us for a couple of weeks recently with her son, Owen,3, and daughter Abbie, 1, oh, and of course, her hubby Duke.  Believe it or not, it was a joy to have them here.  Eight people under one roof, a two bedroom house, wow, so this is how my grandparents felt growing up!  Grandma had 7 siblings, Grandpa had 8, Dallas's dad had 6. Needless to say, there isn't enough Xanax in the world that will convince Dallas and I to become the next Duggers!



Madeline and Abbie



I remember when I had my kids, my parents always worried that the girls would not remember them because they lived so far away.  I reassured them that Madeline and Lainey could never forget them.  Of course, even with this situation at the forefront of my mind, I sometimes feel the same with Owen and Abbie!  So, getting to spend this quality time with them, instead of the short weekend visits, was important to us all.  Owen is 8 weeks younger than Lainey, which makes them great playmates, then you have Madeline that is 4+ years older.  When there is a baby in the house, Madeline goes into babysitter mode.  She loves to play, feed and snuggle with them.  While they were here, I couldn't wait to get off work and play with them.  We took them all, plus another to the carnival.  Before you think I am crazy let me tell you, it was a blast!  They would decide on a ride together, then took turns riding with each other. All in all, the two weeks went by smoothly, but fast.  It was sad to see them go, but we were all ready for our old routines again. 





Together, Dallas and have 1 niece, Abbie, and 6 nephews, Ryder, Owen, Gage, Jaden, Sergei and Eli.  Two of which, we have never met, but are hopeful that someday soon, when the time is right, we will.  I guess nieces and nephews are also like Lays potato chips, you can't just have one.  As happy as I am for the ones we have, I am still sad for the ones we don't.  Jeremy and Brandon have started the necessary papers to begin adoption procedures.  I just typed my referral letter to help out.  My heart and soul go out to them.  They wish to be parents so badly, and from watching them with my kids, I know they would be wonderful at it.  They are not only great uncles to Madeline and Lainey, but to their friends' kids as well. I know in my gut it will happen for them, and that girl/boy will be the most loved, cherished and cared for kid on the block!  Not only by their parents, but by their Aunt Sarah as well.  Aunt Sarah sends you hugs and kisses until we formally meet. Know you are loved!



Jeremy, Brandon and Lainey



Anything Can Happen On Halloween!!







Another year, another costume!!  Halloween has came and went. This was the first "real" Halloween for Lainey!  Of course, I dressed her up the last two years and, of course, I took her "trick or treating," but this year she was old enough to GET it!! She walked up to each of those doors and said "trick or treat" and "thank you" to everyone.  There was no shy bone in her body once she realized that candy was involved!  Dallas, unfortunately, had to work this year, but took them to one house before to see the girls in action.  She kept saying, "okay, dis the las house, I freezin, oh wait, can we go to dat one?"  Madeline enjoyed herself as usual, she has gotten over the "scary" costume issue, which is a good thing.  I understand it's scary for a kid to see people dressed up as ghost and such, but I also know they can miss out on a lot of fun stuff from being scared of everything too!  Example, Thriller!



In my attempt to be more adventurous, this year I decided to participate in "Thrill the World."  Thrill the World is an annual international dance event and world record breaking attempt, for Guinness World Records, in which participants simultaneously emulate the zombie dance seen in the music video of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."  As apprehensive as I was, I dressed the girls in their costumes and myself in mine, the zombie version of the "lunch lady," RIP Chris Farley!!  We went an hour before the actual recorded performance to learn the dance.  Lainey, not yet over her scary costume phobia, chickened out at the first sound of the scary music, but Madeline and I danced on! If I would've had another hour, I probably would have gotten it down, but I did okay considering I haven't dance danced since I was 7 or so.  I was proud of myself for taking a risk and going out of my comfort zone. I, not only had a good time dancing like a crotch grabbing zombie, but I spent quality time with Madeline, whom I am always telling, "You can do anything!"  Hopefully, I set an example of that for her, but a fond memory would suffice!  For a look see at my awesome dancing skills, search Thrill the World Sikeston 2010!



 

 

2008



2009



2010

At The Dog Wash!





Learning To Groom!



Although we had our rough times in KC, we had our good times too!  Through work, I once again made new friends and made a career.  I started Pet Smart a few months after moving there.  I started as a cashier, but quickly moved into management, still longing for something more.  I knew I loved the job, loved the people I worked with, loved the pets, but as I watch the dogs in the pet salon I knew where I really wanted to be.  Unfortunately, it took awhile to get there, with all the begging and pleading to let me move on, sometimes being an asset to the company can have it's drawbacks, but once an opportunity for a salon manager position arose, I jumped on it with both feet!  To be a groomer at Pet Smart you must become a bather, go to an academy and then complete an apprenticeship with a salon manager and after grooming 100 dogs under their tutelage, you become certified.  It was a lot harder than it sounds, but I enjoyed every bit of it, and without it, I wouldn't be where I am today.  I love all my PS friends and miss you dearly!!

 

My Other Daughter, Prudence!

Eight years later, I am still grooming, and still loving it.  It most defiantly, is a ever changing job, and for the most part, is different everyday.  Its a joy to get regular customers that not only you care about, but care about you, and become a part of the family.  Give me a call if your dog needs a buzz @ Animal Health Center in Charleston!!  1-573-683-4445



The End!



Wal-Mart + Dallas = Madeline

Well here we go!  I figure the best way to start is at the very beginning of the Dallas and Sarah Saga, with cliff notes! After graduating and going to college to study (party) for a couple of semesters, I quit school and moved home. Yes, I know, thrilling so far!!  Since I was no longer in school, I had to go out in the "real world" and get a job, yeah.  Wal-Mart became my lucky employer.  And that, my soon to be friends, is where I met Dallas, the hunky electronic guru!  It took me awhile to get in good with the Wally world crew, but once in I met a lot of good friends which I am still in contact with to this very day. Once Dallas and I became friends, our relationship took off from there, with a little arm twisting on my part.  See, Dallas was convinced that dating someone whom he worked with was a bad idea, of course, as I explained to him, Wal-Mart wasn't a life long goal of mine, but he most defiantly was!! It didn't take long for me to totally fall in the deep end over him!  We dated for awhile, created our sacred "den of sin", and in 99 were married.  Who knew you could find love in aisle 4 at Wal-Mart?







Grandpa Joe and Grannie



Memaw and Papaw



After a few years of marriage, and a failing job market, we decided to move to Kansas City to have a fresh start.  After getting jobs and settling in, the harsh reality of moving away from our hometown hit us both hard. The first year there we, lost a friend, my grandma and Dallas's grandpa soon after.  The loss of my grandma and his grandpa was/is a huge tragedy.  Memaw meant the world to me, and for me to move away from her and not see her those last precious days of her, will haunt me forever.  She knew that I loved her though, and I know she loved me and wanted me to be happy and live my life, and so I did.  My mom couldn't though, she spent most of her days by my grandma's grave.  You see, my mom is the strongest person you will ever meet.  She took care of my grandma till her last breath. And although the last year of  Memaw's life was filled with a lot of pain and suffering, my mom cherished that time with her and will never forget it.  Alice, my mom, was heartbroken after grandma passed, and it became very clear to me that she wasn't getting any better, that's when Memaw stepped in. One day at work, a feeling like, oh shit, I haven't started my period, came over me, prompting me to beg the boss man to let me off early.  I went to the drug store and bought the prego test.  Dallas worked nights, so I calmly woke him up and explained to him, oh so gently, that I skipped a period, and bought a test that I would be taking that night. After he left for work, I went in to the bathroom, took the test and there it sat for awhile, till I found the strength look at it.  My brother, at that same time, called me.  He and I have always had that "intuition" when the other needed someone. So with phone in hand, I went to the bathroom and saw the + sign.  I was speechless as was he!!  Even though it wasn't a planned thing, it felt like it was the right thing at the right time.  Telling Dallas was an event in itself, but once he met his daughter he was putty in her hands.  Mom started living for the future, spending less time at grandma's grave and more time baby clothes shopping. Yet we moved on, in mom's and my heart, we both knew that grandma did some pleading with God about the sex of the baby, and won!  Enter Madeline Claire and another new beginning!

Coming Soon........Part II -  Lainey's Story!

ALSO FEATURED........



My Mom Alice aka Mamaw





Jeremy my brother/life line!



Special Thanks To My Sis-In-Law!!