Oops...Almost Forgot

Ooops...Almost forgot my pictures of the day. My new thing. Check 'em out and tell me what you think.

I shouldn't even post these......

It is terribly cruel of me to post these photos. They were taken during a moment of...er...weakness?! However, I think these guys drank every drop of booze in Tuscarawas County and then paraded around for me and my camera. I mean these shots are priceless and they aren't even the funniest ones!

Dustin and I (sober) a few days later.

But, then we go back to the party. After this shot they sang a rousing rendition of 500 bottles of beer on the wall. It was really special.

In The End

Although I am not a proclaimed Potter fan, as my dear sister-in-law is, I will say one thing. Aside from the spoil sports and angry exorcist from Mexico, I am intrigued to read this series because of its profound affect on the WHOLE world. What other event in history has caused the whole world to jump to their feet in celebration? The end of WWI or WWII? Scary but inspirational at the same time! I believe this may in fact be a step in the right direction.

The world was excited to read a book. Children were excited to read. That my friends, is J.K. Rowling's greatest accomplishment as an author!

Big Love for Big Love

Have you been watching Big Love since the start? We're in season 2 already and I can't seem to get enough. I now have atleast one reason to look forward to Mondays. At first this show sounded repulsive. The premise of the show is one guy (Bill Paxton) who happens to have three wives, 7 children with 1 on the way, 3 successful hardware stores, and a rocky past as a former member of a polygamist compound. In fact, his second wife Nikki, is from the compound where he was raised. Although he and his three wives are "engaged" (their word, not mine) in polygamy theirselves, it is far from the living conditions and practices of the compound. I'm so excited to see what happens next, when Bill's sworn enemy Roman (Nikki's father) finds out that Bill sold him out to the Green's. The prelude to the next episode suggests that someone is going to be killed and that all hell is going to break loose!! Is Alfie trying to take Bill's oldest daughter as one of his wives? Probably not after Bill beat him half to death in his hotel room.

If you aren't watching Big Love you need to start now!!!!!!! If you don't have HBO, then subscribe. I can't miss one episode and neither will you once you get into it!

Today's Pics

My Beautiful Mama

My Contest Entry Shot! I don't know which one to enter. I think the second one. Tell me what you think....

My friend Nikki...isn't she pretty?

Photo Op for Allie

Curiosity gets the better of this pug. I submitted this picture to Kodak!

She may look sweet...but after this shot, she bit me!

I like this picture because you can see how small she really is! She fits in one hand.

Smug Pug!

Lily and a Sunday Afternoon

My Favorite Picture of the Day...Lily and her shadow!

Mama and Lily playing! Too Cute!!!!

Our Lily has become quite the little lady! So independent for a toddler!

A somber look for sure, but she sure does look alot like some Taylor Boys I know!

Lily loves her daddy! She comes running every time she hears his voice!

"Mama, Please Pick Me Up!"

And because this little girl is growing up so fast, her mama happily obliges.

Allie The Pug

An Early Birthday Present for Mom, has been keeping her VERY busy! But isn't she cute!!!

The Awful Truth

I am not a very emotional woman. I don't cry at movies or make goo-goo noises at every baby I see in the mall. I don't melt at the thought of romantic gestures or give to charities that bother me via phone while I'm watching television. However, there is one cause that hurts my heart. I say it that way because my heart literally aches. The picture you are looking at is an unwanted animal. She is lucky, because she is purebreed, blonde and a puppy. But most animals in her position are not so lucky. They will never see a field of green grass or nutrious food to eat. They will spend a few days in a local pound before they are quietly disposed. We live in a disposable society. Everything can be thrown away and replaced with something bigger and better. This year alone The National Humane Society has recorded over 6 million dogs and cats across the country in pounds and rescue organizations. ITS ONLY JULY!!!! 3 Million of those animals will be adopted. The average unspayed female cat and her descendents will produces 420,000 cats in one year! The average unspayed female dog and her descendents will produce 47,000 puppies. (humane society stats, http://www.humanesociety.com/) Here's another scary stat from ours friends at the humane society- "61% of dogs and 75% of cats entering shelters are euthanized".

Summit County Animal countrol is back in the news again. It appears that they don't have enough money from the state of Ohio to afford adequate doses of drugs to fully kill the animals. So they are administering half doses and dumping half-alive animals in landfills. If you don't think this could ever happen in your neighborhood, think again!!! It happens every single day. Because we don't see it, we don't think about it. Stop the cycle! Don't buy dogs and cats, adopt them! So many animals die because no one cares. I only hope that people will see the error of their ways and stop hurting God's gift!

4th of July Fun!

We had a great time this year! Most of my family got together for dinner and we laughed like we haven't in years. Even Lucy got in on some fun at the bow-wow beach in Stow. She loves fetching the tennis balls we throw and the ones other people throw for their dogs too!!

We are one kooky bunch! We had a blast at the fireworks. They were the best I've seen yet!! Here's a few after party pics!

Meet Lucy!

Lucy is everything you could want in a family dog. She is sweet and loving, well behaved and never forgets to thank me with a kiss. Justin brought Lucy home to live with us the first weekend we were homeowners. Probably not the most ideal time to acquire a new pet, but I fell in love the first moment I looked into her eyes. Lucy is a water dog. Not just in breed, but in her heart. She loves swimming so much that we can't keep her dry. She plays for hours in the lake at Silver Spring Dog Park, she leaps into the puppy pool in our backyard, and many times I look down to find her sitting on my feet while I'm taking a shower! Lucy is often admired by other dog owners when we are at "Bow-wow Beach" in Stow, because she is so amicable with other dogs and children. Because Lucy was the runt of her litter, she is considerably smaller than typical labradors. In fact, her sisters outweigh her by several pounds at a small 55 pounds. Lucy is our first dog and we love that she is part of our family. We could not have wished for a sweeter or more loving dog than our Lucy-Girl!

From "The Puppy Files"

These are the days of our lives...

Because Chicks Love Shoes

Friday Salute to the cute AND comfortable shoe for work or play! God Bless Payless!

Smeagles, we must cheat!

Photos for Thought

Sometimes, you can catch the perfect, unguarded, unthought smile with a camera. No posing here. Just happy.

Dew enjoys chew toys more than most dogs. I am certain that someone whispered into her ear, that chewing her toys beyond recognition was her life's challenge!

The Great Mancini is keeping a watchful eye atop his kitchen perch. From his position, he may behold all the general splendor of the kitchen tile that lay before him.

Proof that God makes flowers grow....not me!

Our neighbors went bankrupt in December and left behind their beautiful home. It is going up for sale next month and the asking price is $65,500. It is nicer than my house! I should have waited a little longer to buy a house, I guess!

My Abbey Girl is quite hot in the summer time. She has been enjoying frequent visits to the "bow-wow" beach in Stow. She loves to swim out and fetch the tennis balls we throw!

Mending Broken Hearts

Tonight, I got to make my mama so happy. Before I tell you what I did, I must share a sad story with you. In December, my mother lost her best friend in the whole wide world. Her pug dog- Pebbles. Pebbles was one of my childhood pets that became my mom's pet. Long after each of us grew up and moved out, Pebbles the Pug remained loyally at my mother's side as she faced empty-nest syndrome. She was there when my mom's mom died and when she faced a very scary health crisis. But, after 13 years of loyal love and devotion, Pebbles died a few days before last Christmas. My mother was shattered. No dog in the world could replace her Pebbles. Several months have pasted and my mom stills sheds tears over her lost companion, but today I gave her a beautiful baby puglet. She is all wrinkly and snorty like pugs should be and it was worth every dollar in my pocket to see my mom scream when I handed her the tiny 8 ounce puppy. She of course became all teary-eyed like women do when something is too joyful to hold inside and I couldn't help but feel like the best daughter in the world. She called me this evening and told me how she had spent a small fortune at the store buying all of her "Allie-Girl's" new toys, food and bed. Tomorrow is a new day for my mom and I hope it is filled with all the love and puppy kisses she deserves.

Happily Ever After

I find great joy in spending quality time with my grandparents. They are the example of a simple, loving couple I keep at the forefront of my mind. Sometimes, I walk a few steps behind them, so that I might catch a glimpse of unfailing and true love. I know it sounds trite, but true love really exists. I see it in the way my grandfather holds my grandma's hand while they are walking. I see it written on his face when my grandma returns from a trip to town. When they sit side-by-side on the sofa reading the morning paper, or share a bowl of ice cream on the front porch, it's there. Their home is brimming with love and you feel it immediately upon entering their home. It is a marriage and home built by love. Unconditional and faithful love. I have always said that the couple who suffers together, stays together. Individual hardship is a long, unpaved road filled with wrong turns. Shared hardship unities a couple and prepares them for the endurance required to keep love and God at the center of their life. The beauty of seeing two lives become one life, is a miracle in itself. My grandparents will never make a list of most beautiful couples "as reported by People magazine", but their example has touched my soul to the core. If you ask either of my grandparents how they have stayed married for so long, they will tell you this. "Keep God at the center of your marriage, respect each other, and love more than you expect to be loved."

These last few years, I have seen them both age significantly. Sometimes, my heart skips a beat when they call, for fear it will be the call that ends this love story on earth. I see two smiling old people with care-worn faces laughing at their grandchildren. When they look at each other, I wonder if they see the same thing. Or does my grandpa see a 5- foot tall, 16- year old girl with raven hair and blue eyes sitting on the steps of her school? Does my grandma see her fiance in Army blues stepping off a plane, after being gone for 3 years? One day, when their time here has passed, I will share "their story" with my children. I will always carry them and their love to my marriage and family, so that we may have our own "happily ever after".

5 Guilty Pleasures

1. Black Nail Polish. Love It. It's trendy. It's classy. It looks great with anything. It's just plain fun!
2. Flip Flops. Year round use and great for the person who hates to be bothered with bending down to put on their shoes.
3. DVR
4. McDonald's Iced Coffee in the hazelnut or vanilla flavor. For a mere $1.99, I can get a giant bucket of this delectable drink on my way to work without exiting my car. *Bonus* It is made with low-fat milk, so drink up amigos!
5. God bless the person who invented air conditioning. I feel extreme guilt each time I flip the switch to "blizzard", but without this modern commodity, I could never sleep soundly 5 months out of the year.

Lily Pic

Honey Dew

Honey Dew came home to live with us in December. She is quite the crazy puppy and loves playing in her backyard. We thought she would never get potty trained, but finally after 6 months she's got it down! Honey has quite the voracious appetite and will eat just about anything. (At 7 mos. she weighs in at 62 pounds) We spend lots of time chasing her around the house, when she snatches things off the counters and tables. She likes to play "keep away" with Justin's socks every night when he's getting ready for work. Most of her pictures are when she first wakes up because that is the only time we can get her to sit still! She and her two sisters sleep quite soundly on our Sealy bed! (heeehee) Honey came from a home that loved Labradors, just like us. We thank the Wargo family in Stow for our beautiful pup, who brings great joy to our lives everyday!

("The Snoopy" look occurs after being scolded! She's too cute to stay mad.)