New Year Update

Well, I'm not sure where to start.  We lost our sweet puppy Bandit at 8 months old and it just broke our hearts.  We weren't sure we would get another dog but we soon realized that our home felt very empty without the goofiness that is typical of a Siberian Husky.  So after just a couple of months, we found a cute little puppy that we named Maverick.

 On the way home the first day.

 

Graduating intermediate puppy training.

Such a sweet face!

He is almost 1 year old now and VERY energetic, playful, lovable and goofy!  He is a beautiful boy but we love his personality more than anything.

Other than that, things are pretty much the same, we work, come home and work at home.  There is always something that needs to be done it seems.  Currently looking forward to longer, warmer days and the possibility of some down time.  Hopefully that will mean I can update here a little more and document some things I want to remember.

Until next time,
Machelle

Long time

Wow!  I can't believe it's been this long since I even looked at the blog.  I need to put this on the schedule of things to do.  So, a lot has happened in the last few months.  At the beginning of the year I decided to take Ali Edwards "One Little Word" class and spent some time picking my word for the year & keeping up with the prompts.  My word is "still".  I feel like I am going 90 miles an hour most of the time & not getting very much accomplished.  So my goal is to slow down, take a little more time for me, to rest & to get in the habit of daily Bible reading.

Our precious puppy, Bandit, had to be put to sleep due to a neurological condition that left him unable to walk or control his bladder.  It happened very suddenly, within two weeks, and we have been devastated.  He was definitely a puppy, with the usual shenanigans of chewing, digging & chasing the cats; but he was also so smart, playful and loving.  He was the best dog we've ever had.

Also, there are a couple of important birthdays coming up - Scott will be 50 this year & his mom, Donna, will be 80.  I am planning a get together for family & friends to come and wish them all the best.

So, I will try to post more often but the next couple of months will be busy.

Machelle

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is THIS week - I am not ready and also can't believe it's the end of November.  I know that when you are young you just do not understand when adults tell you time moves faster the older you get - but it is true.  So very true.

The picture on the top left is some of my family (before I was born).  My grandmother, Mae, is sitting, my uncle J.T & my uncle Slim (holding my cousin, Gale).  Standing is my cousin, Jimmy, next to his mother, Donna Mae and Jerry.  Then my aunt Tootie, holding who I think must be my cousin Linda and my cousin Janet is standing in front of the table.

When I was growing up living with my grandmother, everyone always came to our house for the holidays.  ALL the holidays.  My cousins and I were close and enjoyed being together.  My grandmother did all the cooking and I always remember Tootie washing the dishes afterward.  We usually had the same foods every year and ALWAYS dressing - not stuffing - cause we live in the South.  There was potato salad, pea salad, sweet potatoes and green beans.  Those are the dishes I remember, though I think there were more.  There was also dessert, which was usually pie.  A lot of pies, actually - pumpkin, pecan, chocolate and coconut, as well as a fruit salad concoction that had pistachio pudding in it that made it green.


The picture on the top right is Scott's family a few years ago.  His family is more spread out and it was not unusual for them to NOT all be together for holidays.  When we got married & I asked who we were going to spend our first Thanksgiving with, Scott replied that we were going to order the traditional "Thanksgiving pizza".  I really thought he was joking. 

So to me any holiday, but especially Thanksgiving means "family".  I try to keep the traditions the same because it reminds me of those who are not with us any longer.  It is harder and harder to get everyone together, though, and that makes me sad.  I guess that is one of the reasons I scrapbook - because I get to remember how nice it was for us to all be together and how much I love my family, both my original family & Scott's family, too.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and remembers to cherish each moment.  And also remember to take pictures!!!!  One day you will be Thankful for those.

Machelle

Feels like Fall

Well, it finally feels a little bit like fall around here.  We have had the windows open, went to Fall Fest yesterday & made pumpkin bread today.  I love fall - everything about it; crisp cool mornings, having the windows open & hearing the wind chimes blowing, the festivals, decorations & this time of year makes me think of family.

Growing up, we had so many traditions during the holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas) - most involved family & food.  I'm sure this is true for most people, but it is something I guess I took for granted most of my life.  It seems when we were kids the adults took family time more seriously, all holidays were spent with all extended family together at some point, kids running around and getting to see aunts, uncles, cousins in addition to immediate family members.  It saddens me because the family that is left doesn't seem interested in getting together with everyone; only their immediate family & only if it doesn't inconvenience them in some way.

My grandmother always cooked & always insisted anyone who came to our house never left hungry.  There were always certain foods associated with each holiday, too.  So this time of year also makes me miss her & feel nostalgic for the past.

Please cherish your family & make memories with them while you can.  Enjoy the people and moments that holidays bring.  One of the reasons why I scrapbook is to remember all of those times.

Until next time,
Machelle

Remembering Loved Ones

Grandmothers are truly a gift from God; some more so than others.  This is mine - MawMaw (Mae).  It is not an exaggeration when I say I don't know where I would be without her.  She raised me basically from the time I was born.  My parents "had" to get married because my mother got pregnant so it is no surprise that they also got divorced when I was only a few months old.  They lived with my grandmother (my father's mother) and when they separated, I stayed with my dad and MawMaw.  She took care of me while he worked and after he & my step-mom married I stayed with her.  I grew up knowing both of my parents, but I also knew I was better off living with and being raised by my grandmother. 

She had five children, one who died at age 4 from pneumonia, 12 grandchildren & 10 great-grandchildren at the time she passed away.  It is difficult for me to believe that it has been 13 years without her.  There have been many times over the years that something will come up & I will think - I need to call MawMaw & tell her that.  It is only for a second and then I remember that I can't.  Today, October 6, is her birthday and I felt I should try to get some of my thoughts written down somewhere. 

There are so many things I could write about MawMaw, but what sticks out in my mind are two lessons I feel are important for anyone, anytime.  The first is that no matter what you look like on the outside you have to "act pretty" to be pretty.  I remember so many times as a child if I went somewhere being told to "be nice & act pretty".  It's your attitude, manners & kindness that make you pretty.  The second isn't really something she said, just her day to day living.  No matter what is going on in your life, you just get up every day and do what needs to be done.  She was a very strong woman who worked hard and took care of her family.  We always had Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving and Christmas at our house.  MawMaw would do the majority, if not all, of the cooking and everyone was expected to be there. 

Growing up I didn't realize how much work this all was, but now as an adult I don't know how she did everything.  She was an excellent cook - just old-fashioned home cooked meals and anytime someone came to the house she tried to feed them. 

I know I am rambling, but PLEASE, if you have a parent or grandparent that you love, call them & tell them!  The worst part of growing up & getting older is losing those you love.  When you are a kid it never crosses your mind that they won't always be there & then one day you wake up & YOU are the adult, the older generation, so hold them close while you can.

Until next time,
Machelle

Puppy Madness

My good intentions of keeping track of stories and scrapbooking on this blog have been waylaid recently by our newest addition of a puppy to our household.  It seems as if Scott and I lost our minds when we decided two dogs & two cats would not be a problem.  So, we both agreed to this:

Cute right?  He was born on June 20, 2015.  We brought him home at the end of July, he was 5 weeks old and weighed 6 lbs.  He is a full-blood Siberian Husky & we named him Bandit.  Turns out Taz would have been a better choice.  He is 15 weeks old now & weighs about 25 lbs.

 We have not had a moment to ourselves since we brought him home.  Turns out, you MUST keep an eye on the puppy at ALL times.  Sleeping is a thing of the past and forget actually sitting down.  We bought a regular baby gate at first (cause he's little, right?).  That lasted about two weeks.  Luckily that time Scott was at home when Bandit came around the corner into the kitchen - after Scott had locked him in the bathroom two minutes earlier.

We then bought a regular pet gate, which is taller, has a walk-through gate and latches.  That worked well for quite a while.  (He's only in there while we are not home - at work or at WalMart buying more pet treats.)  But we were gone for several hours last Saturday so I could get my hair done & do some clothes shopping.  When we came home, Bandit was in the kitchen again - he had gotten out of the latched gate, gone to the bathroom in the office, shredded a CD & its paper sleeve and who knows what else.  Oh, the joys of having pets!  Currently he is teething & chasing the cats.  We keep telling him it's a good thing he's cute!  I hope we can keep our sanity until he learns some manners.

For the most part, he is doing well.  Going potty outside, sit and down are okay.  Trying to teach him come & leave it are not going so well.  I know that this is just a phase & one of these days when he weighs 50 or 60 lbs. and is all grown up we will not even remember the craziness of having a puppy. 

Hoping things will settle down a little & I can get back to scrapbooking and enjoying some quite time soon.  Until then, Happy Fall Ya'll!

Machelle

 

More Pets

This is Daisy, currently the only dog in the family.  She is very sweet and (mostly) obedient.  Like the other fuzzy kids she is spoiled rotten.  Daisy is about 8 years old and a chow mix, we got her from the shelter when we still had another dog (Bear). 

The animals ignore each other for the most part.  If one of the cats is getting any attention, Daisy can't stand it until you stop petting them and start petting her.  She wants all the love (and treats!).  I wish I could say she is our princess but she is not very graceful.  When she lays down she just plops wherever.  Sometimes it is where you are and sometimes, like right now, it is on the tile floor because it is so hot.

Well, there are all the current members of the family.  I still have some ideas for other family stories but they will take a while to type up.  One of the reasons I wanted to blog was to get better at telling stories so my scrapbook journaling would improve and also help me keep track of what I want to write about.  If you do stop by & read this, please leave a comment.  It's always nice to talk about family, friends, scrapbooking and other hobbies.

Thanks for stopping by,
Machelle