A Loss Beyond Measure

I think if anyone has hung around with me for any length of time, they have been able to pick up that I don't make new friends easily. I have lots of "acquaintances" but the true friends are the ones I have known and trusted for a very long time. Fairly recently I was lucky enough to make a new true friend, and I just love her to bits. She has had a pretty rough year by any ones standards and the year has now ended on a ridiculously shitty note. I have searched all morning for the right words that would bring some kind of peace and calm to her and her family in this difficult time, but everything falls way short. So, I am asking that you please send Lesa all the thoughts and prayers she can handle as she tries to come to terms with this. And please ask everyone you know to send their thoughts and prayers as well. She is an amazing person, inside and out, and I would never be so arrogant as to pretend I know what she is feeling right now. My heart breaks for her and her daughters, and all of those close to them. Lees....when you are ready hon, I am here. Anything you need, anything at all....please don't hesitate to ask. And while I know that is the same thing everyone will say to you in the days and weeks ahead, please know I mean it with all of my heart. I love you sister friend!

Christmas Pictures Soon Enough, But For Now, Prayers

I have not posted much about Coleman for awhile now, but I have continued to follow his journey on Carepages.com. (Colemanscott) Now more than ever he and his family need your prayers. If that is not your thing, then please keep them in your thoughts as much as possible. His health is deteriorating, and he is again back in the hospital. You can read his Mom's most recent post here for an update. But please.....please, pray every prayer you have and send all the positive energy and healing thoughts you can muster.

Nothing Like a Nice Cotton Explosion to Slap Me Back to Reality!

What the hell am I talking about, you ask?? Well, let me tell you a little day after Christmas story. (I guess the story really starts on Christmas morning...)
Burda--Mom, do you know what happened to the brand new box of tampons I bought??
Me--No, but did you look in the clothes hamper (this is a reasonable question since they sit on the shelf just above the hamper in the bathroom closet)
Burda--YES!! And they aren't there!! (this is followed by a stomp, stomp slam since it is first thing in the morning, and she got her wonderful morning disposition from her mother!! We are not a great tribe of morning people!!)
So, anyhow...I take a quick peek in the hamper, just to confirm, and sure enough they aren't there. Now, fast forward to this morning, and me moving clothes from the washer to the dryer. And you will never guess what I found in the washer....the same washer that had JUST FINISHED WASHING A LOAD OF DARK CLOTHES????!!!!! Yep, that's right. Now everything that was in that load of clothes has come out looking like a badly abused wool sweater that was dipped in wet cardboard. Sounds pretty sexy, huh! I don't think there is a lint brush big enough to handle this. There is a silver lining though.....at least they were new and not used, right??!! And with that sentence I will leave you since I just threw up in my mouth a little!

Oh, and want to know what could make this story just a little bit better??? The reason I was switching laundry this morning?? I need to wash our sheets because the dog threw up on the bed!! Is it too early to break out the Captain Morgan???

Here Comes Santa Claus!!

Around our house we like to keep track of the man in red to be sure we are all in bed and fast asleep in plenty of time!! If you want to know how close Santa is to your neck of the woods, this it the place to do it. And don't forget the treats for the big man. I am sure all this around the world business makes him pretty darn hungry. I hope Santa brings you all you need! Notice I said all you need....in these tough economic times I know that at least here at our house Christmas won't be the gift fest of years past. But it really is more about family and faith, (whatever that might mean to each of us) and surrounding myself with all of the people that are the most important to me is the best gift I could possibly get! So from all of us here at the Landry-Kuhn household, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!! HO-HO-HO & Good Tidings & all that other holiday stuff!!

Love and Kisses!!
j

Internet, I am a Bad Friend! It Has Been Way Too Long Since My Last Post

Who is the crazy woman working way too hard?? She was so engrossed in her work, she didn't even notice the camera flash. Now that is employee dedication right there.

After Thursday's big snow and ice storm, Little Man wanted to go outside and help his Daddy shovel snow. I would like to point out that his Daddy had no business shoveling but he is too proud to borrower a snow blower from the parents. Men!!!

Burda had her last Christmas Concert of her High School life on the 17th. Kind of sad if I really stop to think about it, so moving on......

Proof positive that I can make holiday treats!! Almond bark dipped pretzel rods and the chocolate ones are Ritz peanut butter crackers dipped in melted chocolate stars. These were Critter's idea, so the extra pounds my butt is carrying around are officially his fault.

Little Man and his Daddy decorated pine cones for the Christmas tree...and this is what the finished product looked like. They look really nice on the real tree now standing tall in the living room, making the house smell like a pine forest. I love Christmas! Well, except for the crowds of people breathing my air while I try to find the perfect gifts for the impossible to buy for on our list, but other than that, I love the season!

Little Man got to meet Santa and this was the first year he was not totally terrified of the big man in the red suit. I am glad Santa was able to find the time to stop off in our little town...I know he is a very busy guy this time of year. And of course there was no shortage of things he had on his list. Hope Santa was paying attention!

The first of the month I took a super fast (about 36 hours) business trip out east...Maryland to be exact. And this first picture was of the sunset on the trip home. It was much prettier in person, but use your imagination.

And taking pictures out of the rental car window was as close to sightseeing as there was time for. These are drivebys of the Washington Monument. I think it would be a great place to be able to spend just a little more time...so much history to experience. There were some other monuments and landmarks we were able to see, unfortunately the combination of a moving vehicle and big city traffic didn't allow for more pictures. Maybe next time!

So, this is little glimpse of my month in pictures. Sorry it took me so long to get 'em up here but better late than never right? Have a great weekend and we will talk soon!

Happy Birthday Bro...(Picture to Follow!)

Just a quick shout out to my "baby brother"....he is turning 39 today. Wow...39!! I am not even sure where all of that time went. Oh, and just so he wont feel left out, I will be posting a picture later today. Thanks Mom!! :) Are you worried little brother?

UPDATE: Here is the picture as promised! And I can see a little of every single one of his kids in this picture!

Thanksgiving in Pictures

These first two pictures were taken Sunday night (our 3rd Thanksgiving for those that might be counting) during a rip-roaring game of Catch Phrase. From the look on Mom's face, I am guessing she said something slightly inappropriate!

This handsome fellow is my Dad, John. Hi Dad!!

And these are pictures of the kids with my Grandma Evelyn (Grandma Grape as she is affectionately known around here) and my Step-Mom Isai. (pronounced Izzy and short for Isabelle, which she hates and I personally love!) The adorable little one on Isai's lap is Katie Grace, my niece.

This is Little Man and my nephew Cade. (Cade 1 and Cade 2) Just look at those smiles! The boys had a great time playing together on Thanksgiving. It wore me out just to watch! It was kind of fun to yell out "hey Cade" just to see which one would slow down long enough to respond!

Time To Count Our Blessings And Eat Like There's No Tomorrow!!

Here's to everyone having a wonderful day with friends and family cuz that is what it's all about. Well, that and stuffing yourself till your buttons and zippers beg for mercy!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

j

Guitar Hero Night

Burda is serious about her Guitar Hero now!!

And Little Man needs more practice with the real guitar, but boy has got some serious skills with the Air Guitar!

Making Himself Right At Home

So, I may have mentioned a couple of hundred times that the hubby and I are both working in the mortgage biz. Well, I don't want to say which big name financial company he works for, (it might just rhyme with GrittyPoop) but he has survived several rounds of layoffs and is now working from home for said BNFC. And since I too am working from home, at least for now, I have to say he might be messing a bit with my feng shui, my zen balance, my sense of inner peace and enlightenment. Or maybe he is just giving me one too many reasons to visit his "office" in the middle of the day, if you know what I'm sayin! :) And I just want to point out Crazy Larry in the beanbag chair. Not a bad work environment, huh. And as another side note...get a look at the freakin' monitor he has!! I am suffering from a severe case of monitor envy...that thing is 24"!!! Around here we just call it the jumbotron!

Y'all Got Your Tickets To The Gun Show??

Crazy strong, huh!! And just for clarification, he does not normally have the extra sexy double chin! :)

Think I Might Find a Teleportation Machine on Ebay?

This is where I want to be right this minute!




And this is where I really am. Not ready for this kind of winter F'ery! *sigh*

Put Your Hands Together For.....

So my oldest has taken up this blogging thing, so if you would like to catch up with the happenings of a twenty something college kid trying to make his mark on the world, point your mouse here. And I am so taking full responsibility for his sense of humor cuz...well, why wouldn't I?? That 36 hours of labor (and NO, I am NOT KIDDING!!!) gets me all kinds of perks, and that just happens to be one of them! Love you Bear!!!

Just a Little More Positive Energy Please, and Thank You

One of my dearest, and definitely oldest (ok, I am still older but only by 4 days, so it hardly counts, right??!!) has had by any one's definition a pretty rough year give or take a few months. You can go here and read it in her own words because she explains it much better than I ever could. Please take a minute out of your day and send a happy thought or two (or ten) to her and her family. I know they will greatly appreciate it, and so will I.

You know that I love you sweetie! We don't always agree, and that's ok with me. Wouldn't have it any other way if I am being truly honest. But I am here for you, and always will be. And eventually we will finally be able to find the time to meet in the middle somewhere for those adult beverages and old school conversations!

Super Squirrel Forever!
j

A Right Delayed is a Right Denied....MLK Jr

I know this is about a proposition that was on the ballot in the state of California, but it is very relevant to me and some of the people I love. And, it will soon be very much an issue right here in my own state. My home state put itself right in the middle of the discussion this summer, and because of that, I feel the need to speak out. (like I have ever really needed a reason before!!lol) Now some of the folks that stop by here now and then have all ready listened to me bitch, rant and rave about this issue (hey Lesa!) but for those of you that have been spared this so far...here is my Readers Digest version:

1) How does it affect my marriage if a same sex couple is allowed to repeat the same vows I did? How will my marriage be weakened by this? (and please...this is not a religious conversation! it is a legal/civil rights issue....no more, no less) Are they going to move into my house and use my stuff?? Cuz that I might have a problem with, but until that happens it will have zero effect on the strength of my commitment to my husband. Period. And if it will somehow affect your marriage negatively, maybe you need to take a deeper look. And as a side note....have you seen the statistics on the divorce rate?? Sounds to me like there is a heck of a lot going wrong that has absolutely nothing to do two men or two women being able to exchange vows. Just sayin!!

2) What do we need to protect the children from?? And please...if you use the word gay, or any variation of that word, and the word pedophile in the same sentence, I WILL TEAR YOU UP!!! If a gay couple moves into your neighborhood and your children ask you about them...be honest...be a parent! Families come in different shapes, sizes and colors so teach your children tolerance. I know that might be a foreign concept to some families, but it is the right thing to do.

3) As I mentioned before, this is not a religious issue. It just isn't. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, and I would fight to the death to protect that right for you. But simply because you believe it to be wrong does not make it wrong. This is about civil rights and everyone having equal protection and equal rights under the law. If you do not believe in gay marriage, then do not marry someone that resembles you when naked. But do not dictate that what you believe must be practiced by all. Separation of Church and State...heard of it?? Anyone.....anyone.....Bueller......?? You cannot legislate morality because everyone has a different idea of what is moral.

And finally a quote from one of the Founding Fathers:

"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression"

How can you argue with Thomas Jefferson?

Laughing at Adversity

This whole financial crisis has become a real downer, and we should know....the hubby and I are both employed by the mortgage industry, and unless you have been living under a rock...you are probably aware of the hits that industry is taking. Well, I found a website that uses the market crisis to make you laugh. And man did I laugh!! So, if you are in need of a good giggle...check this out. I am also adding it to my web links cuz I plan to check it often!!

http://sadguysontradingfloors.tumblr.com/

j

Birthday Dinner

So the tradition around here is that whoever is celebrating a birthday gets to pick their favorite dinner, and I cook it for them. Well, Little Man's birthday was the 3rd and he got to pick. Now keep in mind he turned 6....and like any good 6 yr old boy he picked:

Bacon, Curly Fries, Pickles, Cheese and 3 kinds of Goldfish Crackers. I am almost positive that my arteries are now at least 25% blocked after this meal Might have to rethink this tradition!!

All I Wanted Was a Nice Photo of the Kids

Should have been easy, right?? Oh well.....wouldn't be home without the chaos and commotion. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Old Man Knees and Other Miscellaneous Stuff

Doesn't he look hot in that getup?? Had to have a knee scope on Thursday to find out what was going on in there. Think my old lady knees have worn off on him. And, the "knees" (get it...knees instead of news...I am a hoot!) was not all good. Looks like there will be more surgery in his future, but the million dollar question is how long can he put it off. Stay tuned....







Look at that sexy shaved knee. Hot, huh!! Well back off ladies...he is all mine, and I don't like to share!! :)










This is what a good sister does when her little brother learns to drive a 4-wheeler by himself...she takes her life in her hands and lets him take her for a ride. And he thought he was pretty much the coolest kid in the world for it. This of course was taken BS (before snow!!) and that is why the short sleeves. Don't see this happening again for a few months. But, we will always have the videos, right??!!

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful...No, Really....The Weather Sucks!!

Well, it's that time again...time to break out the heavy coats, hats, gloves, scarves and whatever else you can find to protect your flesh from the ridiculous cold. This was taken yesterday but today is not much better. Guess it is official...summer is over.

In Case You Ever Wanted To See Dana Scully Up Close....

If you stopped by my friend Lesa's blog, you might have seen this post but I was able to get an up close and personal picture of one Dana Scully. The paparazzi must've been going all stealth or something, but here she is in all her glory!! And that Fox...quite the hottie!!! ;) I am personally loving the red hair!! Luv juu sister friend!

Don't kill me! :)

Memories Laid to Rest

My friend Lesa is laying to rest her Grandmother today, and I know that she, and her entire family, could use some happy thoughts and positive energy. So please, if you have some to share, send it their way. She very recently lost her Grandfather as well so it has been a very difficult few months for her clan. Too much sadness for one family in such a short amount of time....thanks for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers. Luv juu sister friend!

Now Get Out There And Do The Right Thing

Go to your polling place and vote! Make your voice be heard and let them know that things need to change. It is probably slightly obvious who I might be supporting, but gotta be honest here...it is so much more important to me that you vote, than who you vote for. Exercise your right to vote!! And besides...I hear you get lemonade and a cookie as some polling places...who doesn't love a little lemonade and cookie action!!??

We can meet back here tomorrow to discuss! :)

The Birthday Boy

In this picture he is about a year and a half old. And I miss that kid!! I have loved watching him grow but I have to admit that I miss the baby part. Maybe it is because I know he is my last, or maybe I am just overly sentimental, but time is just going by way too fast and before you know it he will be graduating from high school and moving out!! Just like his brother and sister. Damn, life just comes at ya and there is no way to stop it.
Funny...eight years ago I could not have imagined having another child and today I cannot imagine our lives without him. So, Happy Birthday Little Man, and thanks for making our days just a little brighter with your silly sense of humor and totally inappropriate expressions. Life is just better with you in it.
Love,
Mama!!

This Might Explain the New Grey Hairs...

Yep, this is the kind of thing that will give a Mother hives, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, loss of hair and a desperate need for Valium and Captain Morgan! And in case you didn't hear...he is getting a helmet...do they make full body helmets?? Cuz I could get behind one of those.

Quick Coleman Update

Thought I would give you an update on the little boy I have been following on carepages.com. His blog can be found by searching ColemanScott. Anyway...he has been undergoing blood and platelet transfusions cuz his counts have been pretty out of whack lately. His family is still back and forth between their home in Iowa and the hospital in New York where they are getting treatment and I am again smacked in the face with how terribly lucky I am to have an extended family full of healthy kids. As always, I am asking for your prayers and positive energy, not just for him but for his family too. I can only imagine how difficult this must be for them and I am sure they would appreciate a little boost from the universe.

UPDATE: Just wanted to point out to anyone I have ever called a monkey butt how really adorable a monkey butt is!! :) Love you Maddie!!! :)

Watch Out For The Ghosts & Ghouls!!!

Have a haunted Halloween!

For Lesa and Cim....Working to Deal With the Crap Life Can Bring.

This is about more about the song than the video. Close your eyes and listen, and know that you are not alone!! I luv juu!!

I believe there must be

borrowed angels

here in this life.

They come along

to this world

and make this world right.

They cant

stay forever

cause they're heaven sent,

and sometimes,

heaven needs them back again.

Kristin Chenoweth/Borrowed Angels

A Song of Great Social and Political Import---(or maybe I just like the song!)

I know it is from her Christmas album but it isn't really a Christmas song. Just give it a listen. So does anyone recognize the shoutout in the title...without using Google??

Happy Halloweiney!

Critter came home for the night last night, and the kids all carved their punkins. So, we had to light 'em up.......

Don't they just brighten up the trailer?? :)

The one on the left is Little Man's and Critter carved the one on the right.


This big guy belongs to Burda. It was a monster punkin that her Uncle gave her out of his own garden. And this one wasn't even close to the biggest from what I hear. They sure do grow up big around here! And just in case you were wondering, no, we don't own a rake!

Say Hello To My Little Friend!

One of my oldest and bestest friends has started her own blog, so stop over if you have a chance. We have been friends since the 9th grade when her family moved into our little burb, and I cant imaging surviving high school without her and the Green Weanie!! Ah...good times, good times!
She is pretty new to this but always has something to say about a whole lot of things, so I am expecting big things from her. I love her dearly, even though she can be a little mean sometimes!! (just kidding Cim...you know I love you!!)

Just In Case You Were Wondering...

There is nothing wrong with your computer......I just changed the blog layout again. Hope it didn't freak you out!! :)=

J

More Misc Stuff (Mostly a Reason To Post Some Random Pics)

Little Man's Halloween costume for 2008. He runs around the house yelling "vroom vroom...I am speed" every single time he puts it on. And the day it got here...he watched TV all night long with it on.

That is one nice lid Burda!! I personally love it!
The last Panther game of the season, they were losing 21-7 at the half. By then I had lost all feeling in my butt and we had to head out. First time in a long time my butt has been firm, of course then it thawed out. Note to self...next time bring a blanket to sit on cuz the metal bleachers are not warm....not even a little.

Look at that crazy B Lola...love how her ear is flying straight back behind her. And I really love the look on Larry's face!! There are a dozen captions just waiting to be written for that face!



I think Larry is actually screaming for help in this one.

Ever Have One of Those Months?? Misc Stuff to Share...

Wow...cant say I am sorry that the majority of this month has gone by. Medical stuff, travel (not the trip, just the travel time) and now expensive car repairs have made it one to forget for sure. But, Halloween is coming and Little Man's costume is pretty darn cute so I am looking forward to that. I will of course post some pictures when he slows down enough for me to catch a picture that isn't just a red and black blur! I think the worst of the medical stuff is passing so that is also good, so maybe the end of the month will bring up the rest of the month, and it will end up even. That is what I am shooting for. And Critter is cooking for us on Sunday night and I am super excited about that!!
I went to the courthouse and voted early, and I highly recommend this!! No lines, no waiting....a quick in and out. I bet it didn't take more then 10 minutes total and that was more than ok with me. The last presidential election I waited in a LONG line for probably a good 45 minutes...now while that might not sound like a terrible experience, try to imagine it with a tired and hungry 2 year old along for the ride. Yeah...that's what I am talking about!! Don't tell me I am not patriotic cuz it would have been SO MUCH EASIER to say screw this and go home!! Not going to say who I voted for this election, but I am pretty sure that my vote cancelled out Moms. (but I would like to stress, just for the record, I DID NOT vote for GWB either time!!)
Well, enough rambling...time to get back to work...and don't even get me started on that this month!!! :) Talk again soon!
J

Grattis på födelsedagen mamma

Ok, so my mom probably isn't Swedish, but since she was adopted, I can pretend she is anything I want. And today she is Swedish Royalty celebrating the 35th Anniversary of her 29th birthday!! :) For you "mathy" challenged people out there, like me, buy a calculator!! Hope you have a wonderful day Mom, and many many more to come. Love you!

And for anyone that might be new to the blog, this is a picture of Mom and her handsome husband Grandpa Jack.

In The Interest of Fair And Balanced......

I really am willing to give credit where credit is due, and here is a little proof of that. She still scares the hell out of me when I think about her leading the country, but she is dead on with this!! Good for you Sarah, and all the thanks in the world to your son for his service!

Damn, I Spoke Too Soon

Well, it is my own fault. I tempted fate when I said everyone was healthy. Got a call from the school this afternoon cuz Little Man was complaining of a sore throat and running a fever of 101. When I got him home I checked his throat and there are little red dots all over the back of it, and across the roof of his mouth. So....another trip to the Doctor leaves the wallet a co-pay and prescription fee lighter, and Little Man is taking an antibiotic for strep throat. What are the odds??? He is probably the healthiest one in the bunch, and he has ended up with something no one else had in the round of crud from last week. Burda is doing better but her allergies are still doing all they can to kick her ass on a daily basis. We have switched allergy meds, and it seems to be helping but still cant wait for a good hard frost. Bring it on Mother Nature, bring it on!

To end the day I leave you pictures from this evening of Little Man and Burda, both looking like they are sleeping off some epic battle lost to Jose Cuervo. And here's to healthier days ahead....the sooner the better!

The Trees Are On Fire and Other Random Stuff

This is my most favorite tree in the lake, and it is the first to start turning in the fall, which also happens to be my favorite season. It acts as a kind of barometer for the colder weather. It will also be the first naked tree out here too. Every year I promise myself I will get out there and take some pictures of it every other day or so just to follow the change but this is the first one I have taken. I will try to take a couple more as the fall progresses, but no promises.

In other randomness, the last week and 3 days since my last post have been pretty full. Burda ended up in the hospital overnight after a pretty serious attack of the crud that affected her ability to breathe. Kind of a combination of allergies and bronchitis/pneumonia. Not fun for her, but she did get to take her first ever ambulance ride. I myself am pretty ok with never having to do that again. Scared the holy hell outta me, and I will be just dandy if I never have to watch another kid loaded on a gurney and taken out of the house thank you very much. But, after antibiotics and inhalers she is doing much better now. Still fighting the allergies but a good frost will go a long way to help with that.

My mother-in-law (Jan) was also hauled to the hospital on the same night via ambulance for nearly the same thing. She has emphysema though, and that was complicated by pneumonia. She was in intensive care for a couple of days, but it recovering at home now also. So, it was a pretty scary couple of days medically speaking but everyone is healthy again and all is right with the universe.

On Friday the hubby and I went to Vegas for a long weekend. (we tried to cancel but the cancellations fees were almost as much as the tickets cost us, and by this time everyone was home and on the mend) and it was nice to get away. I spent a lot of time worrying about everyone back here, but the relaxation was nice and nothing terrible happened while we were gone, so it was a success. Didnt win enough money to retire, but didnt lose the house either so it was a win win. It was nice to get home and back into our own bed though. I never seem to sleep good in a hotel bed, no matter how comfortable it might be. Guess the old saying "there's no place like home" is true, at least for me. And, I missed the hell out of the kids so it was time to come back.

That is about the extent of my excitement....pretty amazing the life I live huh. :) Hope everyone is happy and healthy and enjoying the start of fall.

Can I Call 'Em or What??

But, Bono is the King of Ireland, right??

The Queen and My Princess

Homecoming was this weekend, and this is Burda with her friend Brandy on their way out to the dance. Notice the crown...Brandy was Homecoming Queen!! Woot woot for her! No one deserves it more. But take a look at the super hot chick next to her. That's my Burda, gorgeous as ever. Love you baby girl!

And The Cat Came Back, The Very Next Day

So, I would like you all to meet Ian. (or as he was known around this household...Whisker Biscuit) He is Critter's cat but has somehow found himself orphaned in our house. Well, the other day he decided to wander into the outside world just to check in out. Needless to say the cat (or as I am now calling him, FC) decided not to come back in, and ended up spending the night and most of the next day "lost". Turns out he wasnt really lost, he had just set up a great little bachelor pad, or Kitty Condo, in the garage. That was all well and good till spoiled butt housecat realized there was no one to feed him out in the garage so he allowed the hubby to "rescue" him and bring him back inside. I am sure it is rougher for him in here, but he will adjust.

OH. MY. GOD. **WARNING--More Political Content Ahead**

Mo

I know that my profile says that I am more liberal than conservative, but that is because...well, I am. But I am a registered Independent...even says so on my Voter Registration Card if you don't believe me. I like to think that I use my vote carefully, and pick the candidate that I feel is most qualified for the office, regardless of their party affiliation. With that said, I really wanted to believe that McCain and the GOP truly picked Governor Palin because they thought she was the best possible person for the job, and not just because she happened to have been blessed with a vagina!! After watching this, I am no longer able to give them the benefit of the doubt on that one. Come on now!!! Seriously!!! Given McCain's age, there is a 1 in 4 chance that this woman could become President of the United States. Please, can someone explain to me how in the hell she is going to be able to hold her own on a global stage if she cant even be impressive in front of Katie Couric? To quote JY...God help us all! (Something tells me there will be another SNL skit in her near future.)

And The Thunder Rolls....

The first of several falls storms. If you look and listen closely, the stuff you can see and hear bouncing off of the ground is a combination of acorns and hail. The hail was about marble sized and luckily only the Neon was left out to fend for itself. Cade was pretty damn fascinated by the "ice crystals" until he took one to the noggin. Then, not so much.

Introducing Crazy Larry D'yogi, But You Can Call Him Lare

Well, no more foster dogs for us. We broke down and brought one home for good. Burda has claimed him for her own, at last till she leaves for college. He is a Miniature Australian Shepherd that so far seems to be extremely good at eating poop and chewing on anything and everything that happens to be at snout level. But he is super cuddly and so sweet tempered. Just cant help but love the little guy. Just gotta do something about that breath!

And, I thought I would add one of Lola, the Queen of All the Land cuz she is pretty bent out of shape about this whole new dog thing. (just look closely at the first picture...that is her in the background trying to come up with a plan to dispose of Larry) I think when the foster dogs were here she knew they weren't staying, but somehow her keen doggy sense has figured out this dirty beast (her words, not mine) is staying. At least bedtime is still hers though. She struts past Larry in his kennel as if to say..."hey, buddy...how's that cage treatin ya?? Cuz I will be in here, on the bed, nice and warm with the Mr and Mrs if ya need me". And then she just laughs that taunting laugh of hers and snuggles in for the night.