Sunday, December 28, 2008

It's Been A While....

I know, I know.  It has been over a month since my last blog.  I guess I have been somewhat busy with the holiday season.  I have a lot of pictures to post, but I believe I will just start with the most recent, and then if I have the opportunity I will go back and post others. 

Spencer and I had a wonderful holiday season spent with family.  On Christmas Eve we spent the evening with my parents.  My mom just happened to be out walking the dog and she saw a car stopped.  It turned around and drove past her.  Then Gunter, her dog, started pulling her towards the woods just off the road.  She heard the cries of a kitten, that is when she saw one little kitten come running toward her.  Then two, then three.  Needless to say, the car she had previously seen dropped off three kittens in the pouring down rain on Christmas Eve.  Some people are so heartless.  Spencer and I have decided to take the male so Piper can have a buddy.  The other two are females and are in need of an excellent home.  Check them out:

Christmas 2008 042

This will be the new addition to our family. 

Christmas 2008 088 Katie, with all three little babies. 

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Exploring the Farm

Spencer and I went to the farm this weekend.  It was a great weekend to go exploring because it was really cold at night and still only about 50 during the day.  Sunday morning we decided we would go exploring in the woods.  Check out what we found. 

Nov 16 014

Nov 16 015

Nov 16 016  Nov 16 020

Nov 16 023  Posing for a picture by the bolder.

Nov 16 034 Bella actually explored on her own.  However, I was able to get her to sit for a picture.  She loved roaming through the woods.

Nov 16 042 We also found an old tree stand.  Spencer thought it would be cool to climb the pegs to see the view.  Let's just say I was having a come apart on the ground. 

Nov 16 044 A view of the creek.   Nov 16 060

Nov 16 062 Bella, Buster, and Red napping after such an adventurous morning.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Fall in Alabama

Well, it's been a while since I have blogged.  I guess you could say we have been pretty busy, but I am not sure what we have actually done.  Trey was in town for a few weeks so we hung out with him.  We went to the farm for a couple of weekends.  But, mostly we have just been enjoying the beautiful fall weather. 

On Sunday we went with Lauren and Russell to Oak Mountain State Park so they could take some engagement photos.  It was gorgeous!  The leaves were absolutely beautiful.  It is truly amazing the beauty you have in your own backyard. 

I have also been playing around with my camera by taking some pictures of Bella and Piper.  Check it out!

Misc 340 The view from Oak Mtn.  Isn't it fabulous?

Misc 210 Piper

Misc 216

This is the view from our bedroom window!  It is gorgeous as the sun is coming up as well as when the sun is setting.

Misc 223 Bailey and Bella.  We were trying to pose them for a picture.

Misc 224 Lauren, Spencer, and I got them to lay down, but they look as if they are about to be beat! :)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Sweet Buddy Boy

Misc 094

May 6, 1997- October 22, 2008

Our sweet Buddy passed away today.  Buddy has been with Spencer and me through our entire relationship.  He passed away peacefully and is in a much better place.  He has been reunited with Florida, Rascal, and Abby.  Please pray for Spencer and me as we cope with this loss.  This is truly one of the most difficult things we have gone through.  He was a member of our family and is going to be missed very much.  Bella and Piper are also having a difficult time.  We love you Buddy!!!

Monday, October 6, 2008

A Little Bad News

So, on Saturday my mom and I went to Rainbow City to have my oil changed at the dealership where we purchased my car.  We then went on to take Buddy to our veterinarian in Boaz.  This is the vet that saved Bella from Parvo, so yes, we travel to take our animals to what we consider the best. 

Anyway, Buddy has been breathing rather heavily lately.  Almost as if he cannot catch his breath.  Spencer and I became rather worried and decided we needed to take him to Dr. Creel to have him checked out.  After a fecal test, blood work, and x-rays we found out Buddy is negative for heart worms, but he does have congestive heart failure.  He is currently on Ketoconazole and Lasix for two weeks to help relieve  the congestion.  He is also on Encard for the rest of his life.  The vet did not give me a life expectancy, but I of course did not ask.  I don't want to know.  I believe this medicine will help and he still seems rather happy.  He's not lethargic, so hopefully this will keep him ticking for several more years.  He actually seems like he is breathing better. and still has some spring in his step. 

Buddy is very special to Spencer and me.  He has been around for our entire relationship.  Spencer got Buddy for his 16th birthday.  He is a major part of our family.  Please say a prayer for him.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Just A Sunday Outing

I am always looking for something for Spencer and myself to do.  So on Sunday I thought it would be fun for us to drive up to Little River Canyon for some sight seeing.  Spencer and I love road trips so this was a fun adventure.  I have been before, but Spencer had never been.  Check out our pictures. 

September 2008 116September 2008 117 September 2008 118

September 2008 142 September 2008 144 September 2008 146 September 2008 149 September 2008 156 September 2008 158

So, this was our adventurous outing on Sunday.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Foster Parents

So...it seems like forever since I have blogged.  We have had a lot going on, but it doesn't seem interesting enough to take pictures or even blog about. 

However, for the past week Spencer and I have been foster parents to a miniature pincher.  At first I thought this was a bad idea because I would get attached and want to keep him.  However, we didn't bond so it wasn't that difficult for us to give him to a good home. 

Poncho, the name given from his previous owner is a very hyper dog.  Much unlike our Bella.  I truly believe Bella was excited to have peace and quite once he left. 

He's very quick so I wasn't able to get a great picture, but I do have a couple. 

September 2008 097

September 2008 106 As you can see, Poncho is constantly moving. 

Thursday, August 28, 2008

It has arrived...

...my diploma that is.  I am so excited.  I know I finished graduate school at the end of July, but like I said before it would not be official to me until I received the diploma.  I was taking Spencer to work the other morning and when we drove past the house we saw the package on the front porch.  It was very exciting.  Take a look:

diploma 008

diploma 012 Just an up close shot so you can see that it has my name on it. 

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

2nd Week of School and I'm Sick

Well, we have only been in school for 10 full days and I already have the crud.  If it's not the crud then I guess it's a sinus infection or cold.  Junk is draining down the back of my throat, my throat hurts, nothing tastes good, I'm sneezing, and I have a headache. I am not usually one to get sick, but I guess working with the younger ones it happens more frequently.  Hopefully, I will feel better by the weekend that way I can enjoy it since we have Monday off and everything. 

Sunday, August 17, 2008

School Has Officially Started!!!

Can you believe the time has arrived for the students to return to school?  I can't.  Once I finished graduate school I felt as if my summer had just started.  Then six days later I am back to work. 

I am teaching second grade this year.  I am super excited about this new position.  I no longer have to deal with ranging hormones and smart mouths.  My second graders seem to love me and appreciate anything I do.  They also get upset if you don't assign them homework and they love school.  So far this year I have 23 students on roll.  That is a lot, but not as many as the kindergarten and first grade teachers.  They are up to 26-27 students a piece.  Crazy!!!  Fultondale is growing so fast and so many families are moving to the area. 

Anyway, here are some pictures of my classroom. 

Aug 08 009Me on the first day of school standing outside my classroom.

Aug 08 011  A view from the back.

Aug 08 012 Another angle

Aug 08 013

So, that's my classroom.  I noticed I forgot to take a picture of the student cubbies.  The are located on the back wall. 

Hopefully, once I get in the routine of school again I will be able to blog more frequently.  I am off to a great school year.  Stay tuned to see what Spencer and I get into in the near future.  

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Do You See Twins???

Today, Joycie (my grandmother), Vicki (my mom), and Katie (my sister), and myself went on an outing.  We went to Madison to shop at the new Bridge Street Town Center.  We met at Joycie's house at 7:00 this morning.  I arrived first and my mom and sister arrived about 10 minutes later.  When Katie got out of the car and walked through the carport I noticed we had on the same shirt.  How crazy is that?  We don't even live in the same town nor do we talk to each other on a daily basis, much less did we discuss what we were going to wear on this outing.  This was very strange and not the first time something like this has happened. It happened at Easter when we both wore a black top with a white embroidered skirt.  However, Dougie Boy (my grandfather), Joycie, and my mom thought this was quiet hilarious.  At least we don't have on the same color pants.  :)

Girls Day Out 001

I'll update more about our adventures to Madison once I receive pictures from my mom and sister.  They took more than I did. 

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Our Adventurous Weekend...

So... it all started when Spencer's dad found out he needed to go and pick up some of his trucks in Houston, Texas.  He needed three drivers.  I, of course did not want to drive back, but I thought about going.  Needless to say...I bought myself a plane ticket and off I went with Spencer, his dad, and Mike (Lauren's dad) to Houston.  I haven't been anywhere all summer because of graduate school so I was ready to go somewhere, even if it meant driving a truck back, or actually riding. 

We arrive at the airport and pick up our boarding passes and proceed through security.  For some reason on Saturday the security level was "high."  This made me nervous.  Especially considering this is only my fourth time (in my life) to fly.  As we are going through security I place my purse in the plastic container and it goes down the conveyer belt.  Well.....then I notice the security guard is looking at me very peculiar.  He takes my bag from the container and asks if this belongs to me.  Of course I say, "Yes," and he asks me to come with him.  This is where I begin to get very nervous.  He repeats some memorized phrase about going through my belongings and I am not to touch anything as he pulls them out and yada, yada, yada....He pulls out my Pepto Bismol bottle and tells me that it is supposed to be in a plastic Ziploc bag, and I should have pulled it out of my purse and laid it in the bucket beside it and there wouldn't have been any question.  I apologize and get my purse and head down the concourse to meet everyone else. You better believe I learned my lesson though.  I had no idea it was even in there.  It's just there.  Oh well, LESSON LEARNED!!! 

So...we board the plane and off we go to Houston.

These are pictures of us circling Houston preparing to land:

Houston Adventures 005 Aren't  the clouds beautiful?

Houston Adventures 001 

Houston Adventures 008

Houston Adventures 012  Me, once we arrived at Hobby.

We also ate lunch at this place called Jack in the Box.  The name itself should tell you not to eat there, but my opinion did not really matter.  Let's just say, it will be the first and last time I ever eat at a Jack in the Box!

Houston Adventures 015

Once we picked up the trucks, we proceeded the 650 miles back to Alabama.  However, Spencer and I decided we would detour a little before coming home.  We stayed straight on Interstate 10 to Mobile.  Originally we thought we would stay in Gulfport or Biloxi, Mississippi, but there really wasn't anything available.  So we drove the next 35 miles to Mobile.  We found this really nice Renaissance Hotel in the Bay.  We stayed in a king suite with a corner view on the 23rd floor.  It was awesome.  The bed slept so well!!

Houston Adventures 024 The view of the shipyard from our hotel room.

Houston Adventures 027Same room, different angle.

So, we got up on Sunday morning and proceeded with our adventure.  My dad went to Mobile College now the University of Mobile so I wanted to have a see for myself what it looked like.  My mother says I have been there, but I was only 6 months old, so I do not remember.  Check it out:

Houston Adventures 056 

Houston Adventures 054 Houston Adventures 047Houston Adventures 052  This is the housing similar to what my dad lived in when he was there, if not the same one. 

Then, we proceed up Hwy 43 to come home.  We like to travel two lane roads.  It gives us the opportunity to see things we otherwise might not have seen. Houston Adventures 065

We were going to try to visit Gees Bend, but we got lost and it ended up being out of the way.  That will be another one of our many Alabama adventures this fall.  So, instead of visiting Camden and Gees Bend we decided to get onto Hwy 5 and visit Marion Military Institute and Judson College  where Spencer's grandfather and great aunt attended school. 

This weekend was quiet an adventure for both of us.  We saw many things we have never seen before and traveled many roads we have never traveled.  This fall we plan to take small excursions on Saturdays and visit our lovely state.  Stay tuned for our next adventure. 

Friday, August 1, 2008

Happy Birthday Spencer!!!

Okay, well I am out of order just a little, but that is because I am way too excited about finishing school.  So...now I am going to go back and post some photos from Spencer's family birthday get-together on Tuesday, July 29th.

Spencer's 27th Birthday 019 Linz and Spence posing for a "Sony" moment in the kitchen.

Spencer's 27th Birthday 031 Okay, so there is a little history as to why this picture was taken.  Eleven years ago Spencer and I stood in the same spot in front of his license birthday cake for his 16th birthday.  We even stood behind the same kitchen table.  I don't have a scanner or else I would have scanned the other picture so everyone could see. 

Spencer's 27th Birthday 097 Spencer opening his birthday cards.  Is that money I see in that card???

Spencer's 27th Birthday 017 Buddy was Spencer's birthday gift 11 years ago.  How precious is it that he is still around to celebrate with us??  We love you Buddy!

Spencer's 27th Birthday 063 Owen enjoying his spaghetti supper.

Spencer's 27th Birthday 131 April, Lindsay, Lauren, and Katie smiling for the camera!  Say "Cheese" ladies!

Happy 27th Birthday Spencer!!!