SQUIRREL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my word!!! Our lovely Basset Hound, Minnie, brought in a dead squirrel! We have a doggie door, so the dogs can come and go as they please and I guess bring in what they please. We waited and waited for our neighbors to get home, but to no avail.

So Todd called and told Zach to get a garbage bag and pick it up. I did not think he would, but he did!! OUR HERO!!

Share the News of the Puppies

Please remember to tell all of your friends and friends of friends that we have Basset Hound puppies. They will be ready at the end of August. We have 7 but one is already claimed! We are asking $300,with a non-refundable deposit of $150, if you want to go ahead a claim one (which will go towards the price of the pups). If you want 2 we will make you a very good deal (that is how we ended up with 2!) They will be CKC registerable. We really want to get rid of all of them (we are getting attached and Todd said NO!) If you are interested or know someone who is please leave me a message or e-mail me!

Summer's Last Blast

Well, here in Prattville we are booming with new businesses. We recently had a Mellow Mushroom open. We have eaten at one in Dothan and did not see it as anything special, however, the kids didn't remember and were dying to go. I promised them that we would go before school started. Well, we went the other day and I found it overpriced. We got a large pizza and 2 adult drinks and 2 kids drinks and the price was $34.00. FOR LUNCH!! We will not go back! I can go to Little Ceasers and get a large pizza for $5! I didn't find the pizza that great anyway! Oh well, that is my restaurant review for today!

Yesterday, we went bowling with some friends from Zach's Kindergarten class! We had a really good time (even though I lost!) Seth and Zach will be going to different schools next year, so they won't see each other as much and I will have to find a new field trip buddy, but we hope to keep in touch with them. I also had Andrew with me! I think that he enjoyed a trip to the bowling alley!!

A few months ago, when Morgan was studying about the assembly line and Henry Ford, I took her on a field trip to the Hyundai Manufacturing Plant. We had a good time. It was very interesting. Well, you have to be 6 to take the tour, so Zach could not wait until he was 6 so we could take him. Well, he is 6 now and so we are taking a tour of the plant tonight when Todd gets off of work. They offer tours on Thursday evening! I thought that we could all go, it would be something different for us to do.

Well, it is a week before school starts and I have not yet heard from Savannah's teacher. I was nervous to begin with about this year and to have not yet heard when EVERYONE that I know had heard, does not make me feel very well. I hope that today will be the day!

Grocery Store

Is there anyone else out there that now HATES to go to the grocery store more than usual? I used to be able to buy a weeks worth of groceries for $100-$125, now I can't get out of the grocery store for less than $200. This is for the same food! I understand that gas prices are up and this has caused the grocery increase, but I can't and don't want to spend $800 a month on groceries! What are your thoughts and tricks? Please let me know!

Joe's Crab Shack

We had a pretty good weekend! The kids were in Dothan. We met Todd's parents in Troy on Friday night at the Sante Fe. (we love this restaurant because kids meals are $1.99 and we always get a combo plate and share! the only steak place that we can eat at very cheap!)

On Saturday, Todd and I got up and worked outside. Todd cut the grass (it looks like people live on our house and it is not abandon now) and I worked in the garden (you can see our plants now!) We were on a roll until the rain came. I did not even know that it was supposed to rain. Well, it was a nice surprise because we went ahead and got cleaned up and we both took a nap on the couch.

"The Gang" had planned to take a road trip to Hoover to go to Joe's Crab Shack. All five of the adults piled into DJ's Charger! I can only imagine the sight we must have been. Well, after a few U-turns, DJ finally got us to our destination. The wait was not long at all and the food was good! I did have some crab for the first time! I think that I might like it! We all got t-shirts and then headed to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert.

The wait to get into the Cheesecake Factory was ridiculous, so we just killed some time at the Summit. Alicia and I went into Pottery Barn Kids to dream and the guys went into the Bose store to get their heads filled with a lot of wants!

On the way home, Alicia drove and the guys sat in the back! We had a great time on the way home. We even made a stop in Clanton to cruise the strip! I didn't even know that there were that many people that live in Clanton. Downtown was one happening place. The sight was hilarious. Oh well, we had a few good laughs and then figured that we had given the teenagers enough to laugh at so we head on back to Prattville!

We had a great time and I hear that we are planning to go back next month! I just might get crabs like everyone else!

More pics of the pups--Day 3

Finally Friday!!

Savannah's favorite store is Old Navy. I had heard that the one in Montgomery had closed and I have never heard anything else about it. The other day when Zach and I went to the school, we went to the Wal-Mart out past Taylor Road. I found the new Old Navy. Savannah was so excited. That's my kind of girl, gets excited about a store. Well, anyway, with Todd having the today off again this week, we are going to go to Old Navy. I think that we will wait until this afternoon when we are on our way to Troy.

Todd's parents will get the kids this weekend. I don't think that has happens since I have started the blog. Since we moved to Prattville, they meet us in Troy once a month and the kids spend the weekend with them. It is good for the kids to have a break and Todd and I enjoy the time to be Todd and Vaughn and not mom and dad. However, we spend most of the time with our friends. This weekend Ben, Alicia, DJ and us are planning on going to Joe's Crab Shack in Hoover. (Do they allow Prattville folks in Hoover?) (For those of you who don't know Prattville beat Hoover once to win the State Championship!!!) Todd has been wanting to go there for a long time.

Well, the puppies are doing great and Nixxie is being a great mother! I cannot believe that she had seven puppies. She was huge!! Remember that in six weeks we will have 6 puppies for sale. (James, the puppies dad's owner gets pick of the litter!!)

Well, I guess it is off to cleaning the house, laundry,and yard work until later this afternoon.

Pics of Pups

We have seven puppies! They are so cute. Nixxie is being a great mother!


This is Nixxie's sister Minnie. I don't think that she understands what all the hype is about!

THEY ARE HERE!!!

Nixxie has started having her puppies!! We have waited all day!! As of right now we have four. We are waiting to see if there will be anymore. I will post pics tomorrow.

Hammock, Puppies, and Kids

Well, I think that the puppies are coming today! I was up most of the night with Savannah, who couldn't sleep, and Nixxie, who was scratching around (she sleeps on a blanket on the floor on my side of the bed.) After all the "nesting" that she did during the night, she has been pacing and panting since we have been up. I got the kennel out and put her blanket in there and she went right in. I guess now it is just a waiting game! Updates to follow!!!

The kids played on the slip 'n slide yesterday. They stayed outside for about an hour and a half. I didn't take any pics, but I can tell you that they had a good time.

Last night when we got home, it was so nice outside, I told Todd that when the wind blew it was almost cold. Anyway, I was hanging some clothes on the clothesline and Todd was laying in the hammock. Well, when I got done, I went over and laid in the hammock too. Then Savannah came out and then Morgan , and then Zach. Well, everyone was in the hammock in some way except Zach. We were enjoying the clearing sky, watching stars come out, and a bat fly around, until it happen. We were all on the ground. Funny, yes. Painful, yes. The hammock was not made for 4 people. We were having such a nice time enjoying doing something other than watching TV! Savannah hurt her wrist a little and I hurt my forearm. It actually swelled up a bit, and still hurts. I think I just twisted it some. Todd said that he thinks that he can fix it.

Well, I am now an official student at AUM. I have registered for my classes and ready to go. Nervous, but ready to go. I will be applying to the school of education in the summer of 2009. I am about a year behind Todd. I may try to take a few extra classes here and there but we will see. I do not want to shoot my self in the foot by taking to many classes. Wish me luck....I have been taking Internet classes so going to class will be new to me.

How Does She Do It??

I am just wondering how Savannah got 2 "manly" boys to play babies with her? I could not resist taking the pictures of them. Usually Zach and Landon are wrestling or playing in the dirt, but yesterday when I looked out of the window, they were playing babies on the trampoline with Savannah!

I am now officially an AUM student. I have registered for my classes and everything is set to go. I have mixed feelings, but this is something that has to be done, so I am ready!

Morgan is feeling better and looking forward to being able to play on the slip 'n slide!

Morgan Update!!

Morgan has strep throat!!!
However, the doctor was kind enough to go ahead and write prescriptions for Zach and Savannah, so we won't have to go back two more times!!

Fish, Family,& Towels!

On Saturday night we had a fish fry to cook the fish from the deep sea fishing trip. As always we had a great time and plenty of food! The best part is that DJ and Ben did most of the cooking. Alicia and I got to enjoy some "do nothing" time! I even ate some fish! Still not my favorite but I did promise that I would try some and I did (with a lot of tater sauce!)

Morgan was not feeling well, so I didn't get a pic of her!



On Sunday, I went to the country (as we call it) with my Aunt to pick up some items that my Aunt Mae's son was giving to us that belonged to her. She passed away last year, I think. I was given her iron skillets. We had a good visit with family and a great lunch!



The rest of the weekend was spent working in the garden and the back yard! We still have a lot of things left to do, but we had a very productive weekend.



Since we were outside all weekend, my house is a wreck! How does that happen? So today I have to clean the house, catch up on laundry, go to the grocery store, and take Morgan to the doctor at 9:45!



Todd also got the clothesline put up for me! I hung clothes out this morning! I am so glad that he finally got that done and I can use it! Surely hanging out all those towels will save some energy and money!!

Fishing Pics

Fun in the sun and rain!!

Forgive me in advance if this entry is so long, I have about 4 days to write about and one day when I look back I want to make sure that I didn't forget anything.

First to update you on our dog, Minnie. I went to pick her up from the vet and they were not sure what was wrong with her. They game me three medicines to give her for the next week or so. She seems fine now. She is back to staying under my feet and eating. I am glad, but I hope that we don't have anymore problems because I couldn't afford it. It was supposed to between $150-200, but when I went to pay it was $481. FOR A DOG!! The vet bill cost more than the dog did when we got her. Oh well, I can promise you we will be keeping her forever!

On Friday, we headed to Gulf Shores to catch up with Ben and Alicia (they had been there all week!) I loaded the Tahoe and we all piled in (DJ too!) and headed down. We did run through a little rain on the way, but when we got to our campsite all was well. We set up the tent (always a rough time for us, but we made it through without filing for divorce!) and went to the RV park where the Goff's were staying. Ben and Alicia had fixed a low boil! Everything was so GOOD ! The kids were supposed to eat hamburgers (we figured they would not like the shrimp cooked that way, but after Zach, Landon, and Morgan tried the shrimp they didn't want their burgers! Who knew that my kids would like boiled shrimp! Well, after we ate we went to the campground pool for a while and then we headed back to the campsite to pump up the air mattresses and try to cool off (Todd had to get up early the next morning because the guys were going deep sea fishing!) Well, we were having a hard time cooling off, so Todd ran to Wal-Mart to get another fan! This helped because now there were fans on both sides of the tent! Next time we are taking the window unit from the laundry room.

Well the next morning Todd got up to go fishing and the kids and I were going to go to the beach and hang out with Alicia, Landon, and Andrew. First the kids and I did some laundry and got some breakfast then we headed over to the RV campground! After we lotioned up with sunblock we headed to the beach! This would be the first time my kids have been to the beach when they could play in the water! THEY HATED THE SAND! I think that they spent more time going to the shower to rinse off than they did playing! I do think that they had a good time.

After we left the beach, we went back over to the trailer to wait for the guys to come back. Todd had been deep sea fishing before and got real sick and spent most of the trip sleeping. We had hoped that this trip would be different, and it was a little bit, but he did get sick! He had a great time. I think that he said that he caught four fish. DJ and Ben caught a little more, but that is because Todd was feeding them. I am glad that the guys got to go! We had planned to go on a dolphin cruise, but they were all booked up because the Blue Angels were preforming in Pensacola. Plus the guys got back about 2 hours later than what was planned because there were storms in the area. Well, after they got back and we all got cleaned up we headed out for dinner. We had planned to go to Lulu's but they were not taking names anymore and the wait was 3 hours! We went to Live Bait instead. The food wad great, but the service was AWFUL!! We had also wanted to take the kids to look for crabs, but the rain kept us from doing so. So went to all the little shops, killing time! You can see below how much fun we had!! Luckily for us , our tent did great with the rain!

They next morning, we had to pack up and get ready to go. We got our stuff packed up and then went to Surf Style to get Zach a shark tooth necklace and then over to help Ben and Alicia pack up. They were about done when we got their (DJ had stayed with them on the couch bed because of his back (he was in a real bad car accident a year ago!) We helped them and then decided to try Lulu's again. We got their at 10:30 and they opened at 11:00. We had a good time!

We had a great time with our good friends over the weekend and can't wait to do it again!

We even had a great time on the way home, but that is another story for another time!!

We had so much fun that we all enjoyed a post seafood dinner after we got back to Prattville!I will post pics of the deep sea fishing trip later. Todd didn't take that many since he was so sick!