MCP Actions - Jodi Friedman - Camera Lens Giveaway!!!

Jodi Friedman's MCP Actions Blog is being sponsored by Tamron USA Inc. who is giving away a Tamron lens for a digital SLR!!!! What a great giveaway!!! Just go to the following link and follow the directions to get yourself entered!!!! Good Luck!!!! http://mcpactions.com/blog/2009/07/08/win-an-slr-lens-brand-new-tamron-lens-%e2%80%93-18-270mm-or-28-300mm/

Grayson - one month old!!!

Grayson is a sweetie!!!! For some reason, he feels the need to stay awake for all of my photos! When he closes his eyes, I have to be QUICK because it is only going to last a moment at most!!! Of course the day I went over there without my camera...he SLEPT on my lap nearly the ENTIRE time!!! In any case, here are some shots from the other day...on his 1 month birthday!!!

Spring at Crex

I'm so overjoyed by where we live!!! We have access to such incredible places. Check out these photos taken Sunday out at Crex Meadows! It was waaaaay windy but what an awesome place and what a beautiful day!!! Me...my camera...and some critters!!! What more can a girl ask for?!!!

Welcome to the family Harvey!!!!!

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to the newest member of our extended family...welcome Harvey!!!

Aunt Pat and Cowboy went to the Humane Society of Johnson County this evening with the intention of meeting and adopting a cute little Boston Terrier named Willie. After meeting Willie and while waiting to see how Willie got along with someone else that was there to see him, Cowboy started playing with a cute little black pup named Harvey. Harvey is a 6 month old hound/lab mix that loves to run and play. The last guy to see Willie really wanted to add him to their family and Cowboy was having such a good time with Harvey that plans changed just slightly...Aunt Pat and Cowboy decided to adopt Harvey instead.

So...Harvey joins Cowboy, Middie, Abby, and Andy as the apples of Aunt Pat's and Susan's eyes!!!! Welcome to the family Harvey!!!

These are the photos from the petfinder.com website...more to come!!!

The Great Mr. B...

I shared this on my Facebook page but wanted to add it here too...on Monday night, February 23, 2009, Oliver Ray, age 11 1/2, left behind all of us here that loved him to join Momma Ray in heaven. He no longer struggles to breathe, his eyesight is clear, he can HEAR, and he doesn't have to worry about his HUGE, very worn out heart any longer. He is romping around heaven like a pup!!! Although he was Momma Ray's pup, since adopting him upon her passing 3 1/2 years ago, I have loved him like he was my own. How could I not? I will look forward to seeing the little guy again some day...

Our many different names for Oliver
- Ollie (Momma Ray's fav)
- Ollie Bubba
- Bubby Boy
- Bub

- B-Bub
- Mr. B
- the Boy
- the Boy Dog (we only had one!!!)


Random things about Mr. B...

- I loved the patch of "unruly" hair on top of his head, best when made to stand straight up, even as a faux hawk...I'm sure he loved it...

- he loved to sit or lay ON you...not just with you...but ON you

- if your towel was left on the toilet lid when showering, he would drag it down so he could make a nice soft bed right outside the shower

- he was low man in the Ray "pack"...in other words, he was a wuss

- he loved with his whole heart...through his smiles and his wagging tail

- I loved watching him go down the steps to go to bed...his butt wiggled back and forth all the way down the stairs as his little legs carried him down as fast as he could possibly go...every time

- when he got nervous, he would "lick" the air...over and over and over and over...like his own little nervous tick...

- he loved his treats before bedtime - next to breakfast and dinner, treat time was the BEST

- when being fed, the twins knew thier place on the bottom step...his was on the left, Riley's on the right...not once did I ever see him eating out of the bowl on the right

- Faith picked on him because he is the only pup in the house that didn't fight back...we had to force him to socialize anytime after Faith would snap at him...

- he spent a lot of time sleeping in the bathrooms...his little safehaven away from Faith

- he loved to GIVE kisses...but was not so fond of GETTING kisses...I had to steal them!!

- he loved his crate...it was his other safehaven...and of course, the twin's crates were side by side and his, again, was on the left...and he knew it. If it was closed, not latched, just closed, he would use his paw to open it if he wanted in...clever little guy!!!

- he looked great wearing a red bandanna around his little neck

- it took us nearly 3 years of having him groomed to figure out he looked really cute with SHORT hair

- he was one of our best car riders...he would put his chin up on the little window ledge to look outside...he put in a lot of miles over the last 3.5 years with us!

- he loved his twin, Riley...they were inseparable...on occassion they would even sleep together in one of their little crates...or piled on top of each other in a chair...normally if you found one, you found the other

Thank you to the Great Mr. B for loving us as much as we loved you!!!!!!!!!!

Thankful...simply thankful...

Beginning this coming Monday, my dear Brad is back amongst the employed again!!! I'm so proud to say he is my husband...and I'm so proud to know what an incredible employee he is that in this bleak economy, when so many people are out of work, he has found a great new opportunity outside of telecommunications. Thank you to Bill for believing in my wonderful husband and providing him this opportunity. Thanks to Clay and his team for building a great product, BidBridge, for Brad to sell. I know he will make me proud and I know you will be proud to have him as your product's ambassador in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

And for you, my love, I am your biggest believer, supporter, cheerleader...because you are the love of my life!!!! I am so very very thankful...simply thankful!!!

The wait is over...oh and Happy B-day Honey!!!

First off...my sincere apologies that I still haven't made time to upload some photos, I've been pretty busy. Today I feel the need to purge the anxiety Brad and I have been holding onto over the past three weeks or so. After much waiting, we unfortunately found out on Friday that Brad's job was eliminated along with 12,000 other co-workers at at&t. Thankfully my job is safe...for now...but we are building our dream life on two incomes, not one. Today has been tough...I have survivor guilt...we second guessed the fact that he changed jobs just 10 months ago (just for a moment though...we did what we felt was best at the time and who knew the economy was going to go to hell?)...I have cried at the drop of a hat...the tears are just hanging out in the top of my throat...in the meantime, Brad is strong and is only hurt by seeing me sad and a bit scared...I will allow myself one day...24 hours...only one day...to feel sorry for us...to feel sorry for the fact that we need to change the way we are living...to be more frugal rather than so darn free with our money...my 24 hours isn't up quite yet so no guarantees I won't shed a few more tears before I drift off to sleep...however, tomorrow is another day...and we are survivors...and we can be frugal...and Brad is a great salesperson and will find a new job despite the economy...no matter what sacrifice we need to make...and we are a great team...the best team actually...together we can accomplish anything we set our minds to...and it is Brad's birthday...a day to celebrate LIFE...Brad's LIFE!!! We are strong and we have faith that the path we have been chosen to take...this one for which we had no control in choosing...will be a good path...and we will make the best of it if it isn't as good as the last one we were on...we have each other and THAT is what is most important! I love this man and I'm so glad that I have him by my side...as my partner for life. Rambling complete...I love you Brad and Happy Birthday!!! When I wake up in the morning, it is a new day...and I'll be done feeling sorry for us...I promise!!!!!!!!!