Jan. 25th , 2009

First we have been really busy since Christmas has been over. Niel gave me livingroom furniture for my Christmas present so during Christmas break I took wallpaper down in the entry way and the livingroom. We then ordered the furniture and then painted the livingroom. I also took the wall paper down in our bathroom. So this weekend I painted our bathroom.

The livingroom furniture was delivered Friday....so we started setting up...I had already boxed up stuff that I wanted to go to a yard sale and stuff I still wanted to save...it is amazing how we get so much stuff in our life....I think I have too much stuff still but I am learning to perg. We are not quite finished with the bathroom so I will wait to take pictures of that, but my livingroom is done. Enjoy the pictures:





BARNEY THE CAT


Well....we get so attached to our animals...they are always here to welcome us when we come home from work and they are always glad to see us. Barney was no acception to that rule. He was a good cat. Sometimes I think he thought he was a dog, in all truth, he was the alphadog at this house. If you went for a walk, so did Barney. He loved hanging with people..if you moved from one room to another..so would Barney...but he was a CAT and loved his independence. He loved to roam outside, he loved to guard our yard from other cats, and he loved to hang with the boys. I think he thought he was one of the boys...I guess after 16 years, he was one of the boys. He would wait for Niel to come home from work at night and walk in. When Niel took the garbage to the road, Barney would follow him but expected Niel to carry him back, which he did. This weekend, our beloved Cat died. He had not been feeling well these past few weeks, I thought he did not like the cold weather we had been having. Well, on Saturday, he perked up...he helped or supervised David working in the yard, he was helping Niel in the garage and he helped Niel put my new curtain rod in the livingroom. He was helping me unpack books that I had boxed up during the move. Well, a few minutes, he walked into the kitchen..then I heard weird breathing...he was laying on the floor...I went to get Niel, he was still acting strange and less then 5 minutes he died. He went to chase mice in the beyond. So, here are some pictures of our beloved cat...he is now buried in the flower bed he loved to lay in. He will be greatly missed by this family.

Happy New Year

Christmas came and went so fast this year, but it was a wonderful Christmas. We had 13 for dinner for Christmas Eve..I will say it was a housefull but a nice get together. We ate at 4 so Mark could meet up with Janel's family for another dinner at 6ish. After dinner we were able to attend a Christmas Eve service. Brian & Chelsea were even better, they stayed up an attended Christmas Mass, Chelsea played her violin at that Mass. Me...sorry, a tad bit too tired. It was nice this year, Niel's dad Stoyell was able to spend the evening with us.









Christmas morning does not start as early as it did when the boys were little, they all started getting up at 9 am....I made a breakfast casserole, a frenchtoast casserole, and sausage balls. I think the smells woke them up. We ate our brunch and then tackeled the presents. I will say we all had a wonderful Christmas. Brian & Chelsea headed out about 11 ish to spend the rest of the day with Chelsea's family. Mark headed over to Janel's. The rest of us....we got ready for the 1 oclock movie: Marley & Me...which is a wonderful movie. I highly recommend it....you will laugh and cry. I think Brian & Chelsea have their own Marley...who goes by the name of Throttle:




Now...it is New Years....personally I do not know where the time went, between Christmas and now. I know one day I took down Christmas (Saturday), church was Sunday....Monday we did head down to see Neil's brother Eric. Please pray for Eric, we are also trying to get him transfered to a nursing home near here..that way we can visit him more.It is a whole day trip...3 hours down there, visit time and eating, then 3 hours back....makes for a very long day.

I am remodeling my livingroom. On Tuesday, Niel & I went furniture hunting...we had decided we needed more seating in that area (especially at Christmas) and besides, the furniture in this livingroom is my yardsale furniture...so, it is time to make it a real livingroom. But, once you decide to change the furniture you have to paint, take wallpaper down, etc....so yesterday Niel & I went and got paint and I took down the wall paper in the entry ways and packed up all the nicknacks that will now sit in the attic (need to de-cluter when you change things up as well). Niel also put another outside outlet by the pool area.....So, now thanks to Niel, this house finally has outside outlets.

Mark picked up three Chinese students yesterday at the airport...they are down to enjoy the wonderful time of Florida weather. Brian & Chelsea came over last night to enjoy New Years as a family. David...ditched us for a Youth Campout. We had a quiet evening at home (noone invited us to any parties..if anyone was having parties..we were not on their invite list) .....the kids (Brian & Chelsea, Mark & Janel, & the Chinese students, all went over to the youth campout for awhile and then they came back and joined Niel and I....Brian shot off fireworks and we all sat around the firepit and watched them.The midnight campfire..was really nice. I will say it was really nice. Family time is always really nice. Time with Niel is always really nice. Niel had also built four benches for the firepit....so it was nice to sit on these nice benches. We had the tiki-torches on and a fire in the pit and fireworks in the sky...could not have asked for a nicer evening.



Well...today...looks like we will be painting! Getting the room ready for its makeover.



Happy New Year Friends & Family!!!!